Dont Speak
by scarlet letters in the snow
Summary: When she is gone for more than a week he is sent on a mission. what he does to get her back is understandable..but he will have to work harder than he ever has before if he wants her to become her normal,loud self again. can he do it rated M for stuff..
1. Dont speak

Dont speak

this is a ShikaXIno fic

please read and review.

disclaimer: I do not own naruto or any of the characters. I own this story.

* * *

The bitter cold of the day bit against his exposed toes harshly, wisps of ice on the ground making it hard for him to stand on the balcony as the cigarette burned freely in his mouth. He was the spitting image of Asuma at that moment in time, however brief it may have been. He had been told by Kurenai, That she once had mistaken him for her husband while he made his way into The Gates of Konoha, He flicked the cigarette away from himself with little more than distaste. Of course he looked somewhat like him, he had to admit. It must have been those last few years that Asuma had grown his hair out and often pulled it into that familiar spiky pony-tail that was his own trademark, "PINEAPPLE" .

Shikamaru, not really interested in his surroundings walked into his home and over to his bedroom door, The cold air still nipping at his toes violently as he pulled on socks, then shoes. He walked to the door without much thought and simply walked out without locking his apartment, not that anyone in Konoha would dare to steal anything from a shinobi, or rather, there was just to much friendly air around here for someone to steal something and not feel guilty for it. Well, unless your a ninja.

His feet quickly brought him to that stone, where he cursed and pulled out a cigarette "Troublesome feelings," He said, biting his lip as his silent prayers went out to his long since passed Sensei and his old friend and teammate, Chouji. His will broke as he read the new addition to that group. Chouji had only died what seems a few days ago, but still he could hear the sound of chips being munched behind him. He broke down, onto his knees and cried before that stone. The stone that took them away from him and the stone that kept them freshly engraved into his mind. The stone that would never let his loved ones return to him. He weeped beside this rock and didn't notice as a soft presence made her way over to him, her hand on his back as he wept. She smelt of lavender and rain and he looked up at Kurenai with bloodshot eyes.

"It is alright to grieve, little one." She cooed to him like he was a child. He broke under her embrace and smiled at her calling him a "little one". She meant 'Little Twin' or 'Little Asuma' as she would often call him. Her child was placed lazily on her hip, sleeping as her mother laid his head on her lap. Tears spilled onto that forgiving purple kimono, which he had known her to wear since the passing of his sensei. "Let it all out." She whispered as she pet his hair, which had mysteriously fallen from its ponytail, leaving Shika with a shaggy-wild man look. He hadn't shaved and that five o' clock shadow has been lingering on his face for more than a few days. In her eyes, He really must have looked like Asuma, Because she wept as she held him, his face in her hands as they looked at each other and cried.

Another presence alerted him, allowing him time to dry his tears as she approached. He looked up to see Shizune standing before them, with a soft look of intruding apology. He grimaced and stood up to meet her and she walked forward before they met somewhere in between.

"I have information on a mission." She said quietly, even though no one but kurenai was around to hear. Shika merely nodded and looked past her, through her.

"What mission are you sending me on?" He said, his bored tone still husky from his throaty sobs. Shizune looked at him gently, today must be an alright day for her.

"Rescue mission." She said as she passed him a scroll then disappeared back to her office.

Shikamaru sighed and walked to kurenai, bowing his head as she stood, and kissing her small daughter on the head affectionately. Aniko, his sensei's child had grown on him since her birth. Her small 'ohhing' and beautiful laughter was enough to melt his heart. He had become her brother in the little time she has been around. She is only about five years old, Her father dying while she was four months in the womb. Shikamaru smiled down at her tiny figure then stepped away leaving only a cigarette bud in his place. Kurenai smiled.

* * *

"UGGGHH!!" He screamed with agitation, his fist pounding into the side of the hokage building. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? HOW COULD SHE GET CAUGHT!! His anger bellowed out of him in giant waves until he was left with nothing but emptiness. He had to save her, that much was clear. If there was anything of her to save. He cringed at the thought of her exposed body, beaten and battered because she had excepted the mission. She could be dead, most likely she was, as it was his luck with his teammates to die on him all in one time.

He was standing in front of his door. He had lost track of his mind for a while. He needed to stop doing that if he wanted to live. Shika pushed his door open and walked to his room, Placing his kunai pouch on his leg as well as one on his hip, a canteen, more weapons hidden on various places on his body and those similar katana on his back. He raised his mask over his face as he walked out of his apartment, his hair down and hanging in a low pony-tail.

His feet brought him to the exiting gates quickly, eagerly as he wished for her to be alive in the back of his mind. His legs were nimble and lean, allowing him to be as quick as lightening and as soundless as a feather dropping to the forest floor. He was undoubtedly fast, He had been training for years and years and it seemed, just to be quick enough to catch them. He was never quick enough. Chouji's broken figure was all he could see as they said goodbye. The smile on his best friends face as he faded. In choji's prime he had been a meaty young man, But he had grown out of that when they reached their up-teens. They were both nineteen and very eligible bachelors. He remembered with fascination as Chouji had swooned a young girl and was courting her just before his death. The girl didn't show up at the funeral. It was only family, and Shika. Ino would have been there if Tsunade hadn't sent her on a mission. He doubted she even knew Chouji was dead. Suddenly he was hit with the realization, Chouji...is _dead_. Completely and utterly dead and he wasn't coming back.

A hollowness started to overwhelm him as he thought about his snack-happy friend. Ino could just as well be gone. He was aware of that fact, but something was nagging at his soul, and he knew that she just had to be alive. For her sake and the sake of his own sanity. He traveled through the trees, monitoring chakra signals and occasionally re-reading the Hokage's instructions. It was a simple infiltration of some rouge village leader's fortress. Invade,Rescue,Escape. He didn't think it would be simple, especially if Ino hadn't been able to take over some one with her mind transfer jutsu. Something must have went wrong. Hers was a simple seduction mission. Yes, she was the seduction mistress. The woman or The Kunoichi whose skills were the most called upon in that line of duty. Her mission was to seduce the leader of this rogue village, Infiltrate his head quarters and wipe him out. He must have proved somewhat difficult, or Ino never made it into the HQ. No that wasn't possible. Ino was to good not to be noticed by some scum bag. They always noticed her. When and if he brings her back, He will tell Tsunade that Ino isn't to go on anymore 'Seduction' missions.

His mind was racing on every possibility of her death. What could have gone wrong, what moves she made to advance on the man, Shikamaru grew angrier and angrier with each of the possibilities in his mind, Fueling his fire as it raged throughout his body. Shika had never been an outspoken individual, more self preserved and to himself than others where. Ino on the other hand took like into her silken palms with no more than a dazzling smile and a soothing attitude. Sometimes she was loud and obnoxious. WELL she was obnoxious all the time, but she had her moments when she could melt his heart, or stupefy him by living up to her hair color. What shikamaru was telling himself is that "I am not jealous."

"_**liar liar pants on fire."**_ He sneered at his own thoughts calling him out on that. **"your worried. admit it. We BOTH are jealous of whoever got to her before we did."**

_"shutup right now..dont talk about it. no one got anything from her."_

**"Why? just because she is 'ours' doesn't mean some man will just not touch her, I mean have you seen that girls body?"**

_"You are simply retarded. Of course I-We have seen her. This isn't logical..I'm not sakura..I have a stable mind..why do I have a voice in my head?"_

**"OH! Im the retarted one..when you are the one asking the voice in your 'head' why it is there...jeez your dense sometimes."**

_"Your distracting me..go away." _

Shikamaru shook his head and grimaced. He officially felt like a loony. The Sunlight pouring down over the horizon is what brought him out of his mental state. He shook his head as he prepared to set up a camp, deep within the forest trees.

He scouted for a while, setting up a flawless system of traps around the perimeter of his camp and sighing for the completed, troublesome task.

He awoke at dawn and made his way towards the village while masking his chakra. "They are all dead" He whispered under his breath as he came upon the village, it was filled with chakra signatures. They are sleeping. He slipped into the village and made his way to the head honcho.

A ninja about his age fazed in-front of him, others appearing around him . Shikamaru grimaced at them, there was no avoiding it he supposed.

The nin stepped forward, hand on his kunai holster as he sneered at Shika. "Konoha? ANBU, huh?" He laughed as he swiftly pulled the weapon out, Shika easily dodging it as the nin had thrown it full force. "Your a quick one, eh?" His last words as Shikamaru was behind him in a flash, his kunai slicing the boys throat. He fell limp from his hands as Shikamaru made his shadow clones, each enveloping their own captive in shadow and silently slitting their throat.

* * *

The original walked through them all with a bored expression, Unseen by the man watching him from above. All that was visible was Shika's mask, which resembled a badger, with a white face red paint and some green thrown into the mix of color. The man from above sneered at the woman he held in his chamber, walking over to her and picking her up by her platinum blond hair.

"Who is that ninja there?" He said, pointing to a man who walked through the blood that was spraying everywhere, seemingly unaffected by the spray as it drenched his body.

Ino gasped, her eyes trying to adjust but the pain the man was causing by pulling her hair made them shift as she tried to focus. "I- I don't know..H-he has a mask Hiro-kun."

She was naked, striped to the flesh and blood coated most of her body, She had tears dripping from her eyes, Her face swollen from being beaten and slapped.Her hair also matted with blood and dirt from being kicked and beaten and raped repeatedly.Her hands were tied behind her, but separately, one tied to each of her thighs. The rope cut into her skin when she moved (both on her thighs and her wrists.)

"BULLSHIT!" He roared, slapping the blonde and knocking her to the floor, a whimper escaping her lips as he kicked her away from him. "Troublesome bitch."

Ino looked up at him and sobbed. The word "troublesome" was used on her often, but only by shikamaru. She gasped at his memory. Where was he now? Did he notice she hadn't come back from her mission? Well this person fighting the nin outside obviously was from Konoha, so someone had noticed her absence.

She felt the man's hand on her neck as he drugged her, "oh well." She thought to herself as the paralyzing poison dripped onto her tongue, enveloping it in its chakra binding and paralyzer. She gasped as it burned her throat sending strange waves through her body as she felt herself go limp, the pain of being bound and beaten leaving her senses, all she could do is watch as she was picked up and swiftly brought through a maze of corridors. All the while trying to remember her surroundings in case she could escape. She might be a blond, but she most certainly wasn't and imbecile.

* * *

Shikamaru looked up at the tower with disgust and worry. "No," He thought quietly. "Push the feelings aside until your mission is complete." He whispered to himself as he entered the building, swiftly fazing through the shadows of the halls. The blue chakra he knew so well faded from his senses. He panicked. His legs carrying him faster as he ran. There was a small chakra to the west, He turned his head. It was going deeper into the fortress. A small grimace passed over his face as he turned and ran down a westward hall, abruptly stopping when a horde of ninja were ahead of him. He slid his katana from his back with one swift swiping motion, the other hand pulling a shuriken out and slinging it at his target, the goofy looking one in the corner. "Yes the comedians always die first,"He thought bemusedly as they all turned. Basic ninja rule DO NOT take your eyes off of your opponent. With a flick of his wrist and a quick step he was upon the first to be ended by his blade, stabbing it through his heart and another behind him while he was at it. He slid his weapon from them and moved to the next, this one having caught on from the agonizing screams of those beside him pulled out a kunai and was determined to fight for his life with the ANBU before him. Shikamaru wondered for a slight second as he plunged his sword into his solar-plexis, if maybe, that man had been like Chouji or himself. A cry of anger and power came from behind him, Shikamaru turned just in time to block the attack. No they couldn't be. It doesn't matter.

This man was proving himself difficult, even more so when two of his fellow ninja joined in and started to attack simultaneously. Shikamaru soon figured, after many cuts and stab wounds that they had a pattern. - Stab, Dive, Slice, Jump, Kick, Stab, Punch- Sneak attack both ninja would hit him then the other would sink their kunai into his thighs and arms. It was all apart of their plan to immobilize him, He quickly caught on and when he got his opportunity, he stabbed both at the same time as they tried to sneak behind him, his Katana slicing both of their throats as he kicked the third in the chest, his hands moving so quickly and a horde of kunai covered the mans chest like a vest of metal. Shikamaru gathered his things and ran onward, avoiding any other signatures as he made his way through the winding fortress. Making note to watch where he was running and which ways he turned.

Shikamaru arrived at the basin of stairs following a trail of blood that looked like someone was just dragged through there. He was breathing loudly, huffing and grunting as he ran down a passage way. It was long and it felt like miles seeming endless. Soon he came to a door, a large door that required chakra to open. He mentally sighed as he exerted just enough chakra to budge it open. Mumbling a few words and sighing the door squeaked as it opened in a violent protest.

He slipt in silently, the door puffing as it hit the frame with a dull -smack-. He winced, now they would surely know he was in here.

A light flickered on, a man sitting with a girl on his lap. She had platinum blond hair and blood covering most of her naked body, she was bound and now gagged as she sat with her head lolling around on her shoulders.

"Welcome," The dark and rich voice rang in Shikamaru's ears. His anger boiling inside him at the sight of his innocent best friend, being degraded by this man. "I am only guessing you came to retrieve your kunoichi?" The man said, pushing Ino off of his lap and tumbling down the steps before him. He grinned as Shikamaru started for her, but his face quickly flicked up towards the man with mild interest.

"Your going to die, sir." Shikamaru stated simply. He didn't like to state the obvious, but right now he wanted this man to know that he would make him pay, for every scrath on his Ino's body. _" MY INO? WHAT THE HELL?" _He thought to himself as he stepped forward. _"Oh well..ignore it..your just protecting her..she is like your little sister."_He decided, as he came to about fifty feet from the man. "Hiroshi Ogawa, You are hereby convicted guilty of crimes against the Hokage, herself, and I am here to fulfill your sentence." His voice rang out with that bored tone, filled with emptiness. The man had a deranged look in his eyes as Shikamaru spoke to him with boredom, seeming like he thought he was no threat.

The man arose from his perch quickly, drawing a sword that Shikamaru himself hadn't seen hidden under that cloak of his. "Listen here ANBU, I have no intention of dying this day."

"Then you sir, are frankly, The stupidist fucker I have ever met." His anger lacing his usually calm tone. He settled into a deep stance and brought his katana out. No use trying to use his chakra up on a jutsu, it would eat up his chakra too fast, he needed to get this done quickly and accurately and the katana was the best choice to go with at the moment.

He raised his katana and deepened his stance, the man running at him with an annoying scream. It was so unneeded shika didn't know why he did it, but he just snickered at moved out of the way of the charging man, his blade dragging across the man's cheek softly, cutting it only skin deep and causing it to stream out blood in tiny droplets. The man growled and turned on his feet, thus engaging shikamaru in to a furious clash of blades. -cling cling- The man swung violently, no strategy to them what-so-ever. Shikamaru easily dodged, bringing his sword up and holding the man off. The man pulled back and looked at Shika like he was trash, with a grin on his face. Shikamaru sighed,"_The man probably think he had some technique I cant handle_." Shikamaru grinned as the man let his guard down and charged him, his blade slipping past the man as he blocked it with his own. "_Where did his strategy come from_,"Shikamaru thought as he yet again charged his blade clinging and clashing and screeching against the other man's. He noticed the man mimicked his steps and techniques, although the man had neither sharringan nor the byakuugan.

Shikamaru squinted at the man, his hand moving quickly as he adjusted his katana and dove straight for the heart, the man side stepped him again and cut shika in the abdomen, the gash flowing with the crimson liquid. The man then quickly jabbed his sword upwards and scratched shika on the face.

Shika jumped back and growled, a low, feral, angry growl. Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard Ino groan, she was standing and quietly walking towards the man, a kunai in her mouth. Shikamaru had to distract the man and so he let out a bellowing and pain filled laugh.

"Are you tired old man, or did you realize your dead meat?" Shikamaru teased, stepping forward.

The man growled and came at him, shika raised his sword in just enough time, sparks flying from the metal clashing yet again, bending the other man's sword slightly to the left. Shikamaru smiled as the all too familiar kunai went straight through his back and through his stomach, Shika's own blade slicing down through the mans shoulder then his heart. The man fell to the ground with a -thud- that echoed through the open room.

Shikamaru pulled his sword from within the man, wiping it off on the man's ukata then looking up at Ino. "Yamanaka, damage report?" He said, leaning his head to the side and placing his katana back in it's sheath on his back. She didn't look up at him but the kunai fell from her mouth and she fell to her knees and wept.

He stared down at her with concern, his masked face showing no such thing as he bent down beside her. "Ino," He whispered, his hand touching her cheek gently. She violently pushed away from him, her arms still bound to her legs and the gag in her mouth.

He crept closer, his hand grabbing the ropes firmly and untying them from the back, her arms falling limp from her legs. "Ino..don't be afraid of me." He reached out to touch her hand but she flinched. He sighed and crouched down right next to her, one hand grabbing her chin and turning it towards him while he leaned in towards her ear to whisper "Your being so _troublesome_.."

* * *

Her eyes opened immediately and she stared at him, his arms wrapped up under her shoulders and her knees and he grunted as he stood up, mumbling about how he couldn't believe she had gotten into such a mess and "_troublesome troublesome..troublesome_."

She watched him as he carry her,could it be her imagination or had shikamaru come for her in her time of dire need? She placed her hand on his chest as he pulled her to him. Most likely so she didn't have to look at the broken corpses of the men whose life he had claimed to get to her. He looked down upon her with his mask, and she stared up into the holes for the eyes until she clearly saw the dark brown behind them. "_It could be any dark-eyed man_." She thought to herself,pulling herself ever closer to her savior.

Her eyes started to feel heavy, weary from the blood loss as she looked up at him, he was all she could see because he held her so close, so delicately like she would break, but what he couldn't tell from the outside was that she was already very much broken.

"Dont worry Ino..I will patch you up good." She heard him whisper as her eyes closed and she was consumed in a sleep deeper than any she had ever slept..

* * *

Ino awoke to the sound of crickets chirping, her eyes fluttering and adjusting to the light of the fire that blazed before her. Straining her eyes she looked up and saw a man. He pulled his green vest of with caution, hissing as some wound was re-opened. She heard his skin tear as he pulled the cloth off of his body. She stared up at a unfamiliar frame. His shoulders box shaped but slightly slumping as if he was tired or lazy. Probably a little bit of both from his hardship he had gone through earlier in the day.His muscles rippling below the skin, she watched as he bent down a stuck the vest in the water, then dabbed it on his wound, wheezing as the water cleansed it. He stood and walked towards the fire, Ino immediately closed her eyes when she saw him turn and upon opening them she wished she hadn't. He let down his hair then his mask, the night hiding his face as he turned and the firelight barely catching anything but a shine in his eye. He walked down to the waters edge, completely nude and stood in the water and hissed as it licked the edges of his wound. His groaning caught in her ears. She recognized that voice, but it seemed so distant when she tried to listen closer.

He dipped his head in the water and growled as the cool liquid sent a shiver down his back. She was so entranced by the noises he made she didn't notice he had gotten out of the water and was returning to the fire, a cloth slung over his waist as he sat and bandaged his abdomen, he winced, his body jerking as he proded the deep wound and she winced to, closing her eyes as he bandaged himself more out of respect than because he was hurting.

She felt his presence grow closer to her, ever nearer he touched her forehead softly, almost affectionately. He mumbled as he unwrapped a cloth from around her. "_when had that gotten there? OH GOD!! I was naked_!!" She felt water being dripped onto her and she visibly winced as her cuts where cleaned. None of them were deep and that is why she hadn't bled too bad. His hand snaked over her with the cloth, not touching anything inappropriate like she thought he might. She felt herself being sat up, he held her up with one of his legs, hissing in pain as he did so. He wrapped the bandages around her, like bindings and then reached over. The rustling of his bandages told her he had reached over her and grabbed something. She peaked her eye open and looked as he pulled his black fishnet shirt over her. It was a loose fit but it hung to about mid thigh. He wrapped her legs up from the ankle daring to go above where the shirt ended so she wasn't exposed and then wrapped her back up in a blanket. It also helped him in the argument that she had cuts and bruises all on her legs and arms. He wrapped the bandages around her palm and thumb then up her whole arm, stopping just before the shoulders. Ino felt like she was being put in a flexibly thin body cast at the moment and almost laughed. He stroked his finger over the back of her hand before setting her hands over her chest. He stood for a brief moment and walked over to his bag, pulling out a jar of ointment and walking back over to Ino he softly crouched down and stuck to fingers in the jar, bringing the cool gel-like substance to her forehead and cheeks her chin and her nose, he rubbed it in until it was dry, making her face feel clean and refreshed.

His hand trailed across her chin as he squatted,"Goodnight Ino." He said, walking over to the other side of the fire and laying down on the hard ground.

* * *

Shikamaru placed his mask on securily then stood, walking over to Ino whose eyes were still closed and picked her up. He had already cleaned up any trace of their ever being there and now all he had to do was get home. He walked away from camp, one last glance to make sure he didn't leave a thing out of place then began running with her in his arms. His stomach screamed in protest but he kept running. It seemed that no matter how fast he ran he wasn't getting any ground covered. Although he knew it was false it made him wonder.

As the day wore on Ino still held her eyes closed, whether she was sleeping or not he did not know, but he didn't want to wake her if she was.

Konoha came into view at around midnight and he sighed when he walked through the gates, almost collapsing from exhaustion as he walked past the guards.

"ANBU, are you alright." One said, standing from his stool and walking over. He inspected shika's client and gasped, calling his friend over as he walked next to him. "Would you like me to escort you to the hospital?" He said, holding his arms out for him to pour Ino into. Shika grunted and merely kept walking, his face focused on the building at least five blocks away. he let his head drop to his chest then ran, as fast as he could towards the hospital, but not before bowing his head in respect for the helpful guard.

The guards called after him but shikamaru didn't turn just looked back over his shoulder and called back "No need." Then he ran as fast as his legs would carry him, he burst through the doors of the hospital. He dragged his feet over to the counter, placing Ino on it and looking up at the nurse sitting in the chair.

"Sakura now!" Shikamaru roared at the nurse, causing other people that were standing by the Nurse's station to look his way. The nurse immediately picked up the phone and dialed the numbers.

"Haruno-san, yes, uhm there is a ANBU requesting your- " Shikamaru grabbed the phone from the woman. She looked at him in shock and just sat there with her empty hand next to her ear.

"Sakura...I have Ino...she needs your help..come..now..please." He whispered into the phone, immediately he heard the dial-tone and knew she was on her way.

Some seconds later nurse's of all types came rushing in and taking Ino away from the safety of his arms and into those foul smelling operating rooms.

Shikamaru paced around the waiting room like a newly wed husband, waiting for his child to be born. Infact that is what he felt like. Like he was waiting for life changing news, and he supposed he really was.

Sakura bursts in the doors and into the Nurse's station then cam out in scrubs and gloves, her hair tied neatly back and a worried expression as she glanced at shika before she ran behind the EMERGENCY ROOM doors.

He waited for hours and hours. He finally sat down and watched the florescent lights above and fell into a deep slumber.

Sakura woke him up hours later and told him he could see her and that she had regained consciousness.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." He whispered then he ran down the hall, looking through each window until he found the clipboard that read : Yamanaka Ino

* * *

Ino awoke in a white hospital room, after tedious hours of work sakura had fixed her up for the most part, and left to find Shikamaru. Ino didn't know this, all she remembered was that ANBU who had come to her aid.

There was a knock on the door and Ino was surprized when Shikamaru came in, the door closing behind him as he walked over to herside lazily. It felt like a million years since she had seen her best friend. She looked to the door to see if Choji would follow, but he was no where to be seen. Tears came to her eyes as she looked upon her friend and she sobbed loudly, holding her hands over her face.

She felt arms wrap around her and the bed groaned in protest as he leaned against it on his knee and held her.

* * *

"Ino I was so affraid for you." He whispered, kissing the top of his best friends head gently.

**"oh you dont like her huh?"**

_"shutup." _He thought, ignoring the chuckles of his inner self as he looked down upon his friend, his teammate.

"How are you feeling?" He said, brushing her hair out of her face with his fingers gently.

Shikamaru had never been so affectionate with Ino, it caught them both off guard and frankly Shika wasn't sure why he continued to do it. He gazed down upon her with such a protective gaze that she almost stopped crying, almost.

* * *

Her loud sobs filled the room as she remembered the events prior to the AMBU coming to her aid. She wept for her broken heart, and her broken body. She wept for the innocence she had lost. Her virginity that she had lost to a man who had beaten her and raped her for a week without end. She cried for the other girls and even boys that she had stayed with in one of the cells. All where his sex toys and she had become one of them for a short period of time. He had broken her down so much that she didn't want to be touched. Shikamaru's arms though, where nothing like the man who had raped her. They were soft and muscular and strong too. They were warm while the other man had been cold, and shika's embrace was fulll of loving care.

She looked up at him with her swollen face, she figured he must think that she is a whore. A whore, a dirty slut for letting that man harm her.She would never speak of this to anyone. She would never speak again. She knew it would hurt people. Seeing her broken, but somehow she didn't care, all she cared about was being in his arms. Shikamaru wasn't a man of many words anyway, so maybe he would let it pass.

Shikamaru looked down at her like she was the most precious thing in the world, and he held her till her weeping stopped and her soft breathing replaced it.

The door cracked open and Tsunade slipped in, waving her hand for Shikamaru to come see her out in the hall.

"Nara Shikamaru, I would personally like to thank you for bringing our dearest Ino home to us but I have unsettling news to inform you.." She said, trailing off as she looked through the window on the door and at Ino's sleeping figure.

Shikamaru shifted, his eyes were heavy from tiredness but he would wait till she was done to yawn.

"Ino..she was...well.." Anger rose into Tsunade's eyes as she looked at the ANBU infront of her, she sighed and pressed her thumb and index finger to the bridge of her nose as she spoke the next few lines, a look of absolute sorrow on her face. "It seems Ino was successful in gathering the information needed but..also..she was raped nara..repeatedly from our X-rays and our scans and her body and mind is in trama..she may never speak to anyone again Im affraid..she wouldn't even talk to Sakura."

Shikamaru looked at her dumbfoundedly. A feeling of scalding hot anger rising in his chest, bubbling out from his eyes. The moisture fell from his cheeks. His bored expression marred with tears as his face began to scrunch up. Tsunade looked at him in shock. She had thought he would be angry yes, but he looked so full of sorrow too...but not just for Ino..for himself also.

He looked away from her. The past few days have been emotional ones yes. That is why he was crying. Not because he cared for Ino...not because he loved her..no...that just couldn't be it..

* * *

AND THAT IS THE END OF CHAPTER ONE!!

TELLLLLLLL ME WHAT YOU THINK!! READ& REVIEW U KNOW!

please review..or my little heart will break if you dont


	2. Guardian

thank you for reading and reviewing the last chappie

this one is for the reviewers.

thank you.honestly.

Disclaimer: dont own.

* * *

Shikamaru refused this. No his Ino could not be hurt. She was absolutely fine. He looked over at the window and at her sweet, helpless form and felt the urge to kill the man who did this. Wait- he already did. He felt the tears run dry from his cheeks as he turned to the hokage.

He stood there for sometime watching the florescent lights flicker and buzz.

"Why do you figure she wont speak?" He said, leaning against the door with his composure together again. he already had the cigarette in his mouth, sucking on the bud like he was smoking, more out of habit than of really liking it.

Tsunades face was outlined in shock " _Boy does this young man have mood swings_! " She thought to herself as she looked at him, she reached for the unlit cigarette in his mouth.

He swiped his head away and gave her a lazy look. "Im not lighting it yet." He fingered the small paper stick before putting it back in his pocket.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and leaned against the opposing wall. "I just figure it because this was a huge trauma for her. And she WONT get over it quickly." She sighed and tried to push her hurt look from her face, She felt half way accountable for Ino's pain for sending her on that solo mission.

"What do you suppose we do?" Shikamaru said, his back leaving the wall as he leaned forwards towards Tsunade, he was only a foot away from her. She could practically taste his agitation, it was almost palpable. He looked at her with his small eyes and sighed.

"I think if we put her through treatments-" Shikamaru raised his hands and laughed a bit before responding.

"Your not putting her on anti-depressants." Shikamaru laughed at the thought of that useless pill. It was all in your mind, pills did nothing for you.

Tsunade looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Nara..there are other forms like therapy for starters...and-" His hands snapped shut quickly and he had his jaw set very firmly, his teeth grinding together in agrivation.

"She has nothing wrong with _her_head...you people are just.." He bit his tongue as Tsunade poked a finger against his chest.

"Listen here buddy, I know what I'm doing..IM the head medic, along with Sakura and WE make the decisions, along with Ino..not you NARA!" Shikamaru with held the urge to roll his eyes at her. She pulled back and righted herself, fixing her kimono. Shika turned on his heal and headed towards Ino's door.

"Nara..I have a question..for you." Tsunade said, carefully chosing her words.

"Yes, Hokage-san?" He turned, not really wanting to speak with anyone anymore, especially The Hokage.

"You really care?" Shikamaru stared at her with no visible reaction to her words.

"That's a troublesome question, Hokage-san." Then he turned into the door and slipped himself through it. Closing it sharply behind him and striding back over to her bed.

"Ino." He whispered, pulling her close to him as he slipped into the bed with her. She barely looked up at him with her blank face. It truly broke his heart to see her this way. "Ino...speak to me.."His voice was desperate, almost like he would cry.

Not a sound was made, except her breath wheezing and a sigh from Shikamaru. "I am not leaving your side Ino..never again will you be alone." His hand automatically went to pet her long platinum hair, but found it had been cut short and was tied back, her bangs shorter also.

"They cut your hair?" He whispered, his fingers running through the hair. He missed how he could count a full minute before his fingers used to find their way out of her lengthy silk like hair. now it was ten seconds and you touched air. He mentally murdered them all. Ino's hair was her pride..that is why she wont talk..they stripped her of her hair...thats why...that has got to be the reason.._oh sweet denial..._

**After some time of silence..**

Shikamaru's eyes began to feel heavy as he laid with his friend. She just stared at his chest, without moving all day.

"Ino...I have to go..unless they forget Im here..I will chance it..maybe the nurse wont remember I didn't leave." He smiled at her, touching her chin and pulling her face up to meet his own. "Your almost as quiet as I am...little pig." He smiled at her, but she just blinked at him. He could have cried, honestly he wanted to, but it probably would bring the same result, or send her into a tumbling depression. He looked at her tenderly, before placing her chin back to where it had been previously and looking up at the ceiling. His chin rested on her head as they laid in silence.

"Ino..you dont want to take anti-depressants, do you?" No answer of course."I wont let them treat you like your crazy Ino...I wont." He promised, his hand falling from her cheek as a nurse passed the door. He grunted as a flash of pink hair flew back to the window. The door opened and an angry kunoichi stared at Shikamaru and tapped her foot on the ground.

"Shikamaru-kun." Sakura said angrily, a slight song like edge ringing through her annoyed voice. "Visitors where released an hour and a half ago."

"Sakura," He started, but felt Ino stir beside him, his attention flying to the girl who had fallen asleep against him. "I can't." He mouthed to her from across the room.

'Now.' She would have roared if Ino had not been asleep beside him. As soon as they left her room she looked over at him. "If your here at eight then I will let you go in early." She patted his shoulder. "Plus, Hokage-sama wants you to report to her office, after doing your report on the mission and then to discuss the arrangements."

Shikamaru nodded and turned back to her door, to go get his shirt that the hospital replaced with the white gown. Sakura followed him in and checked Ino's temperature and to make sure the Nara would leave.

Shikamaru bent to pick the shirt up off the side of the bed, but was met with a ivory hand. He looked up at Ino and her pleading face as he let go, and she pulled it up to her face and held it there. Shikamaru smiled down at her, and leaned forward, his arms wrapping around her and kissing her forehead gently. "I'll be back in the morning, Ino." He patted her back gently as he released her then walked to the door in silence with Sakura. He glanced back at her once more as he walked out of the room and waved at her but was pushed out by Sakura.

"You really aren't the asshole I thought you were, you know that?" Shikamaru looked over at her and grunted, the smile fading from his face.

"Well your more troublesome than I originally thought," He stopped and looked at her with the bored expression he usually had, anger flashing through his eye momentarily until he covered it up with his blank stare. "So your putting her on anti-depressants." He stated this more than asked and Sakura shook her head.

"Shikamaru, She needs them desperately." Sakura whispered, looking through him as they walked. "She needs them because they will regulate her harmones, not because we think she is crazy, we dont it is just- depressants aren't for insane people, assylums are." Shikamaru turned his head from her, still not liking the idea of pills.

"What if she becomes addicted to them, abuses them?" He whispered back, passing a couple of doctors as they walked through the hall, someone bumping into his stomach as they passed. Shika almost doubled over from the pain.

Sakura looked back at him in slight shock. "Shikamaru, if your pulling a prank-" He grunted in pain as he removed his hand from his shirt, blood covering his vest and his hand. He looked up at her with his grim expression. "Shika! when did you get hurt?" Her hands were immediately on his stomach, he didn't notice her concern, just the way his name souded different off her tongue, than it did from Ino's.

"On the mission." He said, barely an audible whisper. Her eyes opened immediately, her hands glowing that familiar blue with her healing chakra flowing through him. He rested his back against the wall as the blue chakra warmed his stomach, sealing the wound on the outside.

"And you said nothing?" She hissed at him, obviously angry at his uncaring attitude.

"I was busy worrying about Ino..I wasn't thinking of what I needed." He looked to the side as he pulled away from the wall, walking past her and out the double doors into the lobby. He walked out the glass doors of the hospital with a frown on his face.

The trip to his apartment was a silent one. His arms raised above his head as his steps became labored. Lucky for him he arrived at his apartment, stumbling to his bedroom and falling asleep on the floor infront of his queen-sized bed.

* * *

Ino pressed the fishnet clothe to her lips, letting the scent of grass and rain fill her senses, cologne dancing around her nostrils. "_It was shika-kun_." She thought to herself as Sakura left the room. She thought back at what Shikamaru had told her, oh how she had struggled to let herself speak to him. She wanted to talk to him so badly.

She can't. No matter what she will never talk again.

She laid her head against the pillows on the bed, which smelt of him also and sighed. He wasn't always there for her. He had a habit of being a little less caring than he should be. He also had a habit of being brutally honest. Not that she would prefer a liar to Shikamaru. She would never change him.

They had their own way of understanding each other. All of them did; Ino-Shika-Cho. They had their own language and they stuck together no matter what.

Shikamaru was different. He had his father's look and for the most part his personality. His mother's heart. He could be cruel, and thick headed, and such a stupid genius at the same time.

He was a quiet individual, prefering not to over exert any of his energy on things he deemed "troublesome." Things that were so insignificant that he paid them no mind. He is self preserved and he doesn't show his feelings often. He has changed so much since..since their sensei's death. Ino thought upon these things with a relaxed mind, slipping into a deep slumber.

* * *

Shikamaru woke on the floor, his body stiff and rigid from the uncomfortable position. He stood to his feet wearily and dragged himself to his study, to write the report.

Many drafts were around him on the floor, all crumpled as he wrote the story precisely to his memory, even their pit-stop in the middle of the night, skipping those minor details wouldn't be to bothersome. He didn't include his feelings, just the useful information.

He stood abruptly. It was seven o' clock and he walked out of his study with the envelope in hand and his jacket slung over his shoulder. He sat them down on his giant mattress as he walked to the closet, sliding it open he saw; black fishnet shirts, green vests, black pants, and some red fishnet in the back. He grabbed one of the red fishnet shirts and walked to his dresser, pulling out some black shorts and his good black sandals from his bottom drawer and sighed.

His hitaite laying on the floor. He bent down and picked it up, then slipped his shirt on, tying his hitaite to his left arm and sighing as he pulled his shorts on. He walked to the door with his envelope and sandals in hand, slipping them on also and walking out the door with a heavy sigh.

He walked to the hospital whistling a familiar lullaby as his stride quickened towards the reception desk.

"Hello, I need to see Sakura-" He saw the nurse stiffen as he spoke her name. Immediately she picked the phone up and called Sakura.

"Yes sir, she will be here in a moment." The nurse from last night said quickly. He tried to resist a smile. Well at least she wasn't being a bitch about it.

Soon Sakura walked by his side towards Ino's room. Sakura had a distracted aura about her and it was making Shikamaru quite irritated.

"What is your problem?" He said, continuing to walk as she looked at him.

"Nothing really," She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair with a tired expression taking over her face. "It is just I never thought this would happen."

Shikamaru sighed as they reached Ino's temporary room. Opening the door with a smile.

Ino was still sound asleep as he walked to the chair by her bed.

He smiled as he saw her cuddling with his shirt. It-for some unexplainable reason- made him happy.

Sakura had to go and wake her up to say she had company. Ino freaked as Sakura touched her arm, screaming as her fingers came in contact with her skin. Shikamaru immediately stood up and was at her side, holding her and whispering comforting things as he pressed her protectively against his chest.

"I-I I will go then if everything is a-alright." Sakura said, still scared from Ino's outburst of horror. The door clicked gently as she left the room.

**Time passed so quickly as he laid comforting his team mate...**

"Ino, I have to go see the Hokage now." He whispered as he gently unwrapped his arms from her. Her hands still tightly gripping his body. "Ino..I have to go talk about your arrangements..So I will know what we are going to do from now on, okay?" Her hands slowly left him as she curled up with herself, turning from him.

"Ino don't be angry with me...just..I will return after my visit with the old hag, alright?" He smiled at her and brushed her hair out of her face, not noticing the fresh tears rolling down her cheeks as he walked out.

* * *

"Come in Nara." She said before his hand could even inch towards knocking. He sighed and opened the door. Tonton running up to his feet as he shut the door. He ignored the animal completely as he stood in front of the Hokage's desk. Looking as bored as ever.

"You wanted to speak to me about Ino arrangements?" He said, relaxing into a slumped stance.

She looked up at him from her stack of paper work- which she pretended to be looking at- and huffed out an exasperated sigh. The smell of sake reached his nose and he scowled. "_Drinking again? Geez_."

"I have already made the arrangements and her things are being transferred as we speak, Nara."

His jaw clenched. They didn't even tell him what they were doing with her. Where was she going to go?

"What exactly are her 'arrangements' Hokage-san?" He tensed up, his body becoming straight as her mouth moved to a grin.

"Sakura didn't tell you?" She chuckled a bit as she leaned against her desk.

"Obviously not, or I wouldn't have asked you, Hokage-san." He bit his tongue. "_dont be rude..dont be rude.._"

Tsunade's grin grew even more at his unease. "She is staying with you,Nara, until her condition improves." Shikamaru's body went tense. _"Staying with me..well I would rather keep an eye on her but wont I be busy with missions? Oh no..dont tell me-"_

He opened his mouth to speak, but Tsunade held her hand up to silence him.

"I didnt agree with it at first, but Sakura convinced me that you were the best candidate..I also have removed you from the list for missions. Until Ino gets better Nara you have soul responsibility for this young woman. That is until she is able to live on her own again, So your mission is to cure her of her depression, because our treatments couldn't possible ever help her, like you said." She snickered at the face he made then continued. "Well as of now you are her legal guardian, you may sign her out of the hospital later in the day, I'm sure her things have already been settled in your home-" She stopped as a slug crawled through her window with a letter on it's back. "ooh its from sakura." She grinned as she read over the letter.

"Looks like everything is in fact settled in your home.. Guess you'll be busy from today forward, and you better pull some results from _your_treatment or we will permenantly take her off your hands, and treat her ourselves." She smiled evily as she read it, she had something up her sleeve. "Dismissed Nara" Shikamaru nodded, completely baffled as he walked from the room. Upon his descent down the steps from her office he heard her howling laughter, What a dope.

Shikamaru met eyes with Sakura as he made his way back to the hospital. "Shika!" She said, walking swiftly towards him as he headed for the glass doors that led into the hospitals reception desk. "I signed Ino out, she is sitting with Shizune in the waiting room."

Shikamaru nodded and walked towards the waiting room, standing in the door frame and watching Ino watch the floor with a lazy gaze. "_Her personality has withered.._" He thought as he walked to her, He reached his hand out to her and slowly took hers by a little bit of force when she didn't take his.

He pulled her gently up so that she was standing and held her hand as they walked out of the hospital, Shizune behind them. Shikamaru turned his head towards her and thanked her with a slight nod of his head as they walked out the door.

* * *

Ino held Shikamaru's hand tightly. Yes, he had forced his hand into her own but she appreciated his efforts. They brought her down to earth, his skin touching hers.

The sun sent a peircing pain into her delicate eyes. She was used to the dim light of her room and was not prepared for the sunlight that enveloped Konoha. It had once been the perfect mood lighting, but now she dreaded the sun.

Shikamaru grasped her hand tightly as she winced and she looked up at him. Her face not changing like she had felt it do inside. He smiled at her anyway. One of his eye smiles. His mouth didn't have to move, because she could see the smile or the laughter in his eyes. She knew him just as he knew her.

Her right hand clung to his black fishnet shirt. It was dirty and it smelt slightly of her hospital room, but she didn't care. She was keeping it. Forever if he allowed it.

He tugged her hand, pulling her off of the main road and down one of the smaller ones. One that led to his apartment. He smiled as they walked along and she stared at him slightly in disbeleif. Since when does Shika smile, just to smile? He wouldn't just walk around with a smile on..it was to-to TROUBLESOME!

Her eyes left his face quickly as he looked down at her. His smile was gone now, He had realized that he had left it on and swiftly removed it. Ino frowned more and dragged her feet through the rocks. Her hand being squeezed as his apartments came into view. She felt her heart skip a beat. Sakura had told her she would be staying with him. She of course didn't answer but she understood.

As they drew closer to the apartment, Ino felt herself sweating. She knew that he wasn't going to do anything to her, but she felt so insecure. No..it was Shika, HE will never, NEVER!

He wouldn't ever hurt Ino.

She felt him relax as they walked up the stairs, still hand in hand. He opened the door for her and led her in.

Ino had never been in Shikamaru's apartment. She had always thought that maybe he lived in some crappy little one roomer because he simply didn't care, but that was obviously not the case. His apartment was a suite. A little bit larger than a small house to be exact. It was more like a town-house, than an apartment. She tried to keep her awe from showing, but she couldn't ever really hide her emotions from him.

She let go of his hand slowly, to explore. She held wonder in her sad blue eyes even if she wouldn't voice it.

She disappeared down the hall, that was to the far left, that led to Shika's room.

She opened the door to see a large, queen-sized bed in the right hand corner. It had a black puffy comforter and a tan skirting. His room was a soft tan, like sand. Most of the things in the room were black, like his night stand and even his dresser, the doors to his closet too. There was a door to the far left of the room that she took and arrived in a small study or work room. It had a simple maple desk in the corner and a lamp with a light green lamp shade. A oak chair, that looked old and battered pulled out from the desk. A picture of their team hanging above the desk. She looked to her left and saw yet again another door, which led to a bathroom. She opened it and saw the dark brown walls and the tan counter tops. The sink had a normal silver faucet and handle. A blue and brown striped towel on it's surface and the same striped shower curtain. Her eyes wide and child-like with wonder as she opened the bathroom door and arrived in the hall again. She wondered out into the living room, passing Shikamaru who was leaned against the wall with the corners of his lips turned up.

She walked past him and across the living room to another hall, seeing that there was a single door at the end of it she turned to her right and walked towards it. Her fingers slipping over the smooth metal knob and watching it open. She walked in to see all of her things there. Her full-sized bed in the center of the back wall she walked in further. Her giant teddy sitting on her plain purple comforter. Her clothes hanging in the open closet and her other assentials on the vanity that was also painted a deep purple. She walked to her bed cautiously and sat down on it.

She stood up as she heard footsteps coming her way. She sighed when she saw Shikamaru round the corner and lean against the door frame, looking around at her new room.

"You can rearrange anything in this room Ino," He smiled and walked in, taking a breif glance around her room and grinning at her giant man-sized teddy bear. "Nice bear." He said, turning she stared at his retreating back.

**An hour later of pushing furniture around..**

On the inside she was proud of herself for her accomplishment. On the outside she still looked bland and quite frankly disgusting in her eyes. She took a quick look around her room that she had rearranged so that the bed was away from the window and the vanity, which had a large mirror that covered the window completely. She had also hung up one of her extra satin sheets, so that the sun barely peeked in and it left a purple tint to her walls. She walked out of the room, closing the door silently behind her and crossing the living room. Shikamaru's door was closed as she walked into the hall. His light was off too. She turned and saw a light coming from a door at the end of the hall. She walked to it and heard the running water, along with a sound of humming. The tune sounding so faintly familiar to her ears.

* * *

Shikamaru hummed that sweet tune to himself as he turned the knob, the water ceasing to spray out at him as he pushed the little switch down. He stepped out of the shower and patted himself dry, pulling on his black shorts and grabbing his red fishnet shirt from earlier. He hadn't done anything to make the clothes dirty so he just wore them instead of having to wash an extra load of clothes tomorrow. He threw the towel over his head and walked out, face to face with Ino who had just walked up to the door.

He blushed as his bare chest was just inches from her face. He hadn't seen her there, luckily she had gasped a little in surprise.

Ino pulled back from him and hit the wall. He stepped forward, the blush on his face disapearing. "Im sorry Ino..I didn't see you there." He flashed her a quick smile before turning for his room.

He dropped his towel in the hall and kicked it into his room as he slid the shirt over his shoulders. He felt Ino's eyes on him, but ignored them as he kicked the towel onto the bedpost. He sighed and stretched, returning from his closet after applying some cologne. Which he always did after showering, his face was baby smooth now. Just like he liked it.

Ino's head popped around his door frame and he smiled at her gently. "_WHERE THE FUCK IS ALL THIS SMILING COMING FROM_?"

"Hey," Shikamaru said, walking towards her and placing a hand on the side of her face. She looked down and walked closer to him her hands wrapping around him as she started to cry. Shika was thrown for a loop. He had no idea what to do, but slowly his arms wrapped around her small body and held her as she wept against him. "Shh..it is alright Ino." He said, his hand rubbing her back softly as she gripped his shirt in her hands tightly.

She sniffled as her head parted from him. Inside shikamaru wanted nothing more than to pull her back into his arms as she pulled away, but he did nothing.

He looked around, he was pretty much more than sure that she was bored. His house didn't scream excitement.

"Uhm..you know..do you wanna go for a walk?" He said, looking out his bedroom window at the sky. The sun was sinking behind the trees so it was a nice time for a walk, not to hot and not to bright. Perfect cloud watching weather.

Ino's eyes flickered up to his as he spoke. Something like intrigue gleaming as she looked at him. Shika saw this and walked out of his room. Ino following like she was a baby duckling following her mother.. or father rather..to the pond. He slipped his sandals on and waited for Ino to catch his drift. She did quickly and slid hers on. Shikamaru leading the way as the descended the stairs.

"So I was thinking I would take you out to eat tonight." He said finally breaking the silence as he looked back at her. She looked up like she was interested and he flashed a smile, then turned around. They were walking to the training grounds. No one would be there at this time of day so he thought it would be a perfect place to sit and watch the clouds.

He felt a tickling on the back of his hand as they got closer to the training grounds, looking down it was Ino clinging for dear life as they passed a group of villagers. She didn't trust the villagers? odd. Well..not really if he thought about it.

She made a whimpering sound as she passed a man and Shikamaru squeezed her hand. "_maybe outside wasn't that great of an idea, great going Shika_." Her grip did not lessen as they walked on, but became tighter still as the walked through the training grounds.

"Would you like to stop here?" Shikamaru said, stopping as Ino did. There was no indication that she wanted to continue so he sat down, tugging gently on her arm so that she would also sit under the tree with him. He leaned back and laid his head on the soft grass like they had often done. It brought back memories of his team and..Chouji.

Shikamaru shook his head. No time for lost comrades. "_I have one here that needs my undivided attention_."

Ino sat beside him rigidly and closed her eyes.

"What are you looking at, hm?" Shikamaru said, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the back of her hand. She looked back at him and simply squeezed his hand, then turned her head back and stared ahead. "Alright then.. Im just not used to you being quiet you know?" He sat up and scooted closer to her. He felt the need to be closer, and she didn't seem to notice or maybe she just didn't mind.

She looked over at him with those deep,sad, crystal eyes and he almost melted. It almost felt romantic to be sitting there with her. Almost until he remembered why they were there. Why she was living with him. There was nothing romantic about their situation. Quite frankly he couldn't believe he had even thought of it that way for even a moment.

* * *

Ino looked over at him. He had a strange look on his face, like he was battling himself for words or something. She sighed quite loudly, and laid her head on her shoulder wait- that wasn't her shoulder..it was Shika's. She blushed, but did not move.

She felt a strange variety of motions at one time. She was hurt, her body hurt, her mind hurt. She was so confused about everything, so hurt and so dirty. She felt so guilty and unworthy of this kindness he was showing her. But deep deep down inside of her soul, she felt the most confusing thing ever.. happy. Happy that Shikamaru was here to protect her. Happy that he was holding her hand. Her heart raced at the thought and she found herself blushing.

She felt disgusting. "_how can I blush about physical contact when I was raped? How can I feel happy when I am sad? AM I even sad. EWW that was a disgusting thought. Of course I'm sad. I feel disgusting and yet I am freaking out over my best friend touching my hand. What is wrong with me?_"

She bit her lip to keep the tears down.

**"no it is natural to feel this way about a boy touching your hand. especially one you have known forever Ino."**

_"I know..but I feel so nasty about it."_

**"I know but we have to stay strong. He is here to comfort and protect us from any further harm, it is natural for you to feel safe and happy under his watch."**

_"If you say so.."_

She sighed and scooted closer towards Shika and looked up at him, He was looking down at her and their noses brushed together. She blushed and turned her head down, but said nothing.

Shikamaru looked the other way quickly also.

"So how about that dinner?" He said, standing and looking down at Ino. " I was thinking that I just cook something instead."

She smiled up at him and stood shakily. Her body still aching. He helped her the best he could to steady herself, his other hand on her back to hold her up. She nodded to him and they walked back to his home in silence. Their hands still locked onto each others. Ino clinging for dear life.


	3. Jelly filled donuts

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WOOT!

_**THANK YOU FRIENDS!! **_

_**for all of your reviewing. **_

_**to tell you the truth most of my stories haven gotten reviews as quickly as this one has.**_

_**im overjoyed at the thought of people enjoying my work**_

**DISCLAIMER: Sorry I dont own, naruto, or '"Some where over the rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.'" (God bless him.)**

**read and review dearies, and I will post more. **

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recap'

_She sighed and scooted closer towards Shika and looked up at him, He was looking down at her and their noses brushed together. She blushed and turned her head down, but said nothing._

_Shikamaru looked the other way quickly also._

_"So how about that dinner?" He said, standing and looking down at Ino. " I was thinking that I just cook something instead."_

_She smiled up at him and stood shakily. Her body still aching. He helped her the best he could to steady herself, his other hand on her back to hold her up. She nodded to him and they walked back to his home in silence. Their hands still locked onto each others. Ino clinging for dear life._

_end of recap'_

* * *

Shikamaru winced as he touched the hot pot on the stove. He bit his lip to keep from cursing aloud, and possibly startling the resting Ino on his couch. He removed his red hand from the metal handle and damned the creator of the contraption to the thirteenth dimension in the fifth level of hell, if there was one. Honestly, who ever heard of a metal handle on a freaking cooking instrument? What could that person have been thinking, no it must be that they weren't thinking at all.

He bit his cheek and raked his teeth over his bottom lip thoughtfully. Bad habit honestly, He really never understood why he continued with such a troublesome quirk. It always ended with the same result. Chapped lips. Oh the dreaded chapped lips, that would only worsen if he left them alone. No it always required that fruity wax stuff that he detested, and he always knew that he would get them, but he did nothing to prevent it. He really couldn't because licking his lips was such a natural reaction. He cursed himself as he did so, and after he had just thought of how bad a habit it was too. His tongue touching the sensitive skin and burning relentlessly.

Almost subconsciously, He reached over and grabbed the pot holder without much thought and moved the boiling noodles from the burner and set it on one of the four side burners for the time being. He crossed the short distance to his refrigerator and stood contemplating what he would put in tonight's dish of ramen. Oh how very original it was. Ramen, He mentally spat at himself for being so **un-creative**. '_Was that even a word?_' he thought to himself but merely shrugged as he stared at the scarce supply of ingredients in his stock. No he hadn't been to the stalls for a while now. He usually ate at 'Ichiraku Ramen', but not for a long time, since before Chouji's death. He looked in the clear, glass, sliding shelf in his refrigerator and smiled as he spotted a block of cheese. He grabbed it and some steak sauce and smiled at his creation. He had learned in his recent years of **bachelor-ism** that the strange combinations of food flavors brought a different variety of **tangyness** to his weekly meals.

**(**Some examples being; bread toasted almost black with ramen inside with ranch ontop of the ramen 'the ramen sandwich', The very strange mixture of fish (of different varieties) thrown in a bowl of ramen, and his most recent creation 'fruit de la ramen' that just happened to have Ino's favorite fruit. Mango.**)**

**"Tangyness?"**_ 'Again..was that a word?_' He thought, mentally debating with himself over the thought of putting it in a dictionary. Christ knows that it should be a word if it isn't already. _'No matter.. if it isn't one, no one will know that I thought it was..well..with the exception of myself...dear lord I'm babbling to myself again.._' He shook his head to clear his thoughts, setting the cheese and steak sauce down.

He picked up the piping hot pot and poured the noodles in a strainer. He hated noodle juice. Absolutely detested it. It made his stomach weak at the thought of .._noodle juice_...

Shikamaru spared a glance in Ino's general direction and presumed that she was still asleep. After draining the noodles within an inch of their nonexistent lives he poured them into separate bowls and shook some sauce into the ramen. Brown. That was what color it was, and the smell that wafted up to his nose made his mouth water. Shikamaru was a man who appreciated himself some high quality steak sauce and he could chug it to his hearts delight, or rather until his arteries clogged and he died of cardiac arrest. He laughed at that thought, it couldn't happen.

A phantom of a smile spreading over his tight and constricted face muscles as he cut the cheese in thin pieces and threw them on top of the ramen. He smiled and this cheesy addition seemed to turn the ramen almost orange. Quite frankly it resembled regurgitated grub worms. He tried not to dwell on that aspect to much.

His humming breached his lips again, betraying his thoughts of the clouds he wished he was still sitting under. The familiar children's lullaby floating around the room as he absent mindedly set the coffee table up to be a dining table, seeing as he lacked a dining room.

"_Some day I'll wish upon a star, wake up where the clouds are far behind meee_." He mumbled as he placed coasters on the wooden table. Casting a glance down at Ino's closed eyes. He wouldn't wake her just yet, he thought. _'not just yet' _He walked to the bowls of ramen that were steaming and sat them upon pot holders, on the tables surface. He bent down and tapped Ino on the shoulder, causing her to jerk up from shock and scream like a banshee.

"I apologize for startling you Ino, but dinner is ready." He pointed to her bowl and sat beside her, looking out the large window that ran parallel to the couch. Providing a descent view of the setting sun.

Its purple and pink rays casting the light upon Konoha in a last attempt at keeping the village awake. Shikamaru smiled at the orange clouds that rest their weary heads on the sunset. Oh how he was just as tired as those clouds seemed to be.

He had decided, that he would make it into bed tonight before sleep consumed him. The thought of his bed was very tempting, but he could wait until Ino decided to retire before he would consider leaving her alone.

He hadn't noticed that Ino was in the process of making herself put the food to her mouth. He chanced another glance and smiled at her. "It is good I promise."

She looked at him some what grudgingly and put it in her mouth with a strange face. Shikamaru smiled as she started to shovel the food into her mouth willingly.

"_At least she is showing another emotion besides sadness or depression_.." He thought as he picked his own food up and took slow, lazy bites.

* * *

Ino set the bowl down on the table and leaned back against the couch. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she just couldn't bring herself to make them into words.

She stared at him as he slowly ate his food. How could he be so damn trouble free all the damned time? She would have growled, but she noticed he had returned her gaze. His small eyes looking into her big shining blue ones like he could see her thoughts. He looked wounded, but at the same time he looked kind of happy. It was just another one of those looks you could get from Shika and not really mind it. It kind of troubled Ino that he looked at her that way, and for a split second she thought he could actually read her mind.

She shook her head and stood abruptly, grabbing the bowl securely and walking into the kitchen and placing it in the sink, Shikamaru followed and washed out the bowls as Ino stared down at the counter top.

"Would you like some tea, Ino?" He pulled a kettle of tea out from the back burner of the stove, and poured himself a glass while casting a questioning glance her way. She nodded and soon she held in her hands a small purple mug. Shikamaru smiled at her as she looked at it's kindergarten quality craftsmanship.

Ino watched as he leaned against the kitchen sink with a smile curving the edges of his mouth.

"You remember when my mom used to make us do arts and crafts?" He laughed at the memory, holding his poorly made green mug in his own hand as he chuckled quietly. "I remember it perfectly, back before our genin days man that was so long ago." The smile from his face faded. "You used to whine because you wanted to eat the macaroni..not glue it too paper." Ino was surprised to hear his roar of laughter, the cup setting down on the counter with a -thunk- sound.

She felt a smile tug on her lips, remembering certain things about their life that had brought them together.

Shikamaru suddenly looked up with a thoughtful smile. "Those were most certainly the glory days, I have no doubt about that." Ino sipped her tea carefully and set the mug down when she finished and walked towards her room, looking back at Shikamaru briefly, then she ran to him and hugged him tightly, then ran back to her room.

* * *

Shika smiled as he watched her retreating back, and ran to his room himself to shed himself from the physical bindings normal people called clothes. No he did not sleep 'in the nude' but he was damn well close enough. Boxers and a mesh top separated his more private physical features from the world as he nose dived into his sheets. Finding a comfortable position then lolling of into dream world with his last thought being that he hadn't told Ino goodnight.

_Shikamaru knew he was in a dream immediately. _

_If you are wondering how he knew it is simple. _

_You simply cannot sleep on clouds. Clouds are moisture and therefore if you tried to touch a cloud you would immediately get wet. The scientific part of his brain had long since been stored away as sleep mode kicked in, and he began to enjoy laying on his fluffy cloud of plush until the clouds turned dark. Shikamaru knew what this meant apparently, because in his dream he began to panic. His heart was racing and he was running along his cloud until he fell through it's bottom. He looked up in horror and then down at his dismay to find that he was falling into a giant hole._

_He gasped as the darkness consumed him, his breath becoming heavy and labored. Somehow he reached up and pulled a string and a light came on. He sighed, knowing that it was idiotic to think he was that lucky and so he began to scout out his surroundings. He was in what seemed to be an office building or a study of some kind. Books were everywhere, kind of like a library, they surrounded him like an arena of literature. He sighed and walked to a desk in the center of a room, it had a large photo album on it and he reached out to touch the picture in the book as the chair behind the desk turned slowly._

_He stared at the blond haired beauty before him. She wore a business suit, black jacket and skirt with a purple button up blouse. Shikamaru was stunned by her intoxicating beauty, her long platinum blond hair, her luscious blue eyes looking at him over a pair of those miniature glasses he had heard some librarians wore. _

_she seemed shockingly similar to some one whose name was dancing on the tip of his tongue, teasing his lips as his mind let the name elude him. No matter, he started to notice the manner on which she looked at him. _

_It was not one of anger, more one of lust that shined through her cerulean ovals as she lay her gaze upon his body. Instantly she was upon the table, crawling across the desk top seductively. _

Shikamaru woke suddenly, feeling a pressure on his legs. He gasped when he saw Ino crawling onto his bed, tear filled eyes.

"Ino whats wrong?" He said, reaching a hand out to cup her cheek with as she crawled closer. She laid beside him, above the sheets that separated his softening member from her body. It is with a double take that he realized he had been dreaming of her. He felt shame and confusion wash over him like a shell stuck in the shores of sand, being beaten and battered by the waves he used to dwell in.

She turned to him, her face burying into his chest. He noticed again as he looked down at her, that she was wearing his fishnet shirt he had used to cover her with nights previous from this moment. He laid there with her sobbing against him for awhile, being as still as possible.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He whispered, running fingers through her untied hair. Her head nodded against his chest in reply. 'yes' was her answer. Shikamaru's grip tightened around her shoulders. "I wish I could keep those nightmares at bay Ino..tell me what I can do to help you and I will do everything in my power to make you feel safe, to make you know you are safe."

* * *

Ino looked up at him only to see the under part of his chin. She felt the strong urge to cry out her feelings but nothing would leave her lips. Why was it that when she tried to speak she couldn't and when she didn't want to speak she felt like she must. She felt confused and scared and her grip only tightened around him as she thought of her dream.

_Ino was walking through a dark hall way. The sound of scampering feet and screams beating against her ear drums in violent protests and pleas. She ran in her state of shock. She ran as fast and as hard as possible, her limbs soon gave out under her feet and she tumbled down stairs that had not been behind her moments ago._

_She fell to the bottom where she lay still for many minutes, trying to see if she could feel anything broken before she moved around too much. She sighed and started to sit up when she heard a strange noise. It sounded like screaming. She strained to listen as she finally caught the noise, it forever embedding itself into her mind. It was hysterical laughter. Ino cringed, the laughter sounded like that of her attacker. The man who had raped her without end, without mercy. _

_She felt the hollowness consume her as she heard his footsteps come closer, light revealing the face of her attacker to be none other than Shikamaru himself._

Ino screamed, her eyes clamping shut as she pushed away from Shikamaru. He looked at her in shock as she trembled on his bedside.

"Ino! what's wrong?" His strong arms wrapped around her again, and that is when she knew that it wasn't him. That he hadn't been the one to attack her. She leaned against him and shook as her sobs drained her of all thoughts. She trembled and gasped even when her tears would no longer fall. She felt so sick, so angry that she could even think Shikamaru would do something so horrible to her. She sobbed into his chest, clutching his arms as he held her tightly against his body.

"Ino, please talk to me." He whispered into her hair. She gulped, she wanted to speak so badly but she couldn't. She felt his arms tighten and then he pulled back from her, pulling the sheets over their bodies and pulling her ever closer.

She felt that she would melt into him. His warm embrace protecting her from all the evils of the world, every evil except for those that lurked in her mind. She was no longer the fun-loving kunoichi she used to be, and she knew that. She was anything but herself, more like a shadow of what she used to be. The only thing that hasn't really changed is her appearance, but that is swiftly changing also. The dark circles beneath her eyes, and her body bruised and aching.

She felt Shikamaru's body relax and soon his steady breathing lulled her into her own state of sleep, curling into his arms and holding onto him like she would fade away from reality if she let go. She didn't want to fade away anymore. She wanted to stay in his arms and never have to let go.

* * *

Shikamaru awoke just before the sun could rise. He pulled out of Ino's clutches cautiously and stood from his bed. His back arching as he reached his hands skyward, his vision momentarily going black as he stretched to far back, feeling light headed he grabbed his pack of cigarettes and walked to his balcony, sliding the glass door open and leaning against the stone railing, he lit his cigarette and stuck it on his lip, breathing in the smoke and holding it in his lungs ,releasing it shortly after into smoke rings.

He looked up at the sky, it was a navy blue with yellow pouring over the trees. Simply breath-taking.

Shikamaru was a man who enjoyed the simple things in life. He craved simple things and he treasured them. What he wanted more than anything was to just be able to live so simply. He had succeeded only half way. The half he got was not caring about those complicated things, well he thought he didn't until he met Ino.

His world spiraled out of control when he met her. She was the only woman (besides his mother) that could make him do anything she desired. She could simply just let his name roll off of her tongue and he would do whatever she said willingly, but he hid that aspect well as he complained about it. Ino was the exact type of thing that drove him crazy, her Cheshire cat smile, the way she could simply flick her wrist or bat an eyelash and boys would swarm her.

He admitted that maybe she was the most flirtatious thign that ever graced the world with her presence, but when he found out he would be on the same team wit her, his heart fell. He knew she was unobtainable and that she would never want a ignorant lazy ass like himself. Maybe that is why he secretly jumped for joy when she asked him to do something. He would always do her bidding because simply, he loved her that much.

They had known each other since the womb practically. As their fathers and mothers were best friends and team mates themselves. He had eaten crayons with this girl for Christ's sake. He had played house and pretended to be married everyday till they were eight. He knew every freckle and hair on this girls body and yet she seemed so un-interested in him that it broke his heart. He was often cold to Ino. It was an often occurrence that Chouji would have to step in between the two when they would quarrel. It hurt him to see her date all of those other boys and cry when they broke up with her. He knew what those other boys wanted, but still he acted indifferent to Ino, telling her he couldn't careless who she dated when she would run up to him in excitement, squealing about how kiba or any other boy had asked her to be their girlfriend. Shikamaru didn't care about those things, or at least that is what he told her.

But now everything was different. Ino needed and desired his protection. Well, at least he figured she did, because of the way she acted. She clinged to him like she had when they were toddlers. She hid behind him like she had done when they were children and he felt so proud that he could finally take care of her.

Ino was the most important thing in his life right now. He wasn't going to let any harm befall her now.

This was his chance to show Ino how much she meant to him, and he most certainly wasn't going to screw it up by acting like a fool.

His face slid into 'I don't care' mode, and he relaxed against the balcony. He heard her soft foot falls as she approached him and he turned his head slightly towards her as he felt a small, cold hand touch his arm. He looked at her, cigarette leaning lazily against his bottom lip and he half smiled at her and turned his face back towards the sunrise. He felt her cold hand touch his cheek and he desperately tried not to look at her, but his body betrayed him and he found himself looking into a sad, blue eyed, gaze. His mouth fell from the smile and into a small line, the cigarette being held even tighter between his lips as she reached her hand up and grabbed the cigarette, she pulled it to her mouth and raised an eyebrow.

"You won't like it." Shikamaru warned, his hand reaching over to grab it back. Ino waved her hand dismissively as she sat in one of the chairs on his balcony, looking over the railing as she took a long drag of the cigarette. Shikamaru raised a thin eye brow in surprise before she had a coughing fit and stomped the cigarette to a pulp. He sighed and smirked down at her, sitting on the railing and staring at her expectantly.

She looked up with an expression resembling something a little more than disgust as to say ' how can you even allow yourself to do that?'

Shikamaru smiled and pulled another from his pack, lighting it with a hand cupped over the flame. Ino stared at him as he took a drag of his own and puffed out a ring of smoke, her expression changing to amusement as she reached up and separated the edge of the ring.

"I have smoked since I was thirteen, Ino..just not cigarettes." She looked up at him in surprise, her mouth opening a little to protest, but she quickly closed her lips tightly with a frown.

Shikamaru chuckled quietly and pulled the cigarette from his lips and admired it, "But I haven't done THAT kind of smoking in a long time." He sighed and put the nicotine stick back to his lips with a relieved sigh.

"You shouldn't be that surprised, you knew I did it, or you acted like you did 'cuz you always called me a hippy." He laughed and flicked the ashes from his cigarette, watching her smile slightly at the thought.

"I remember the one time Asuma and Chouji walked in on me-" He paused, biting his lip at the mention of their names, but he just shook his head and let the though go by. "Never mind." He coughed into his sleeve and threw the cigarette of the balcony, and walked to the doors. "You comin' in?" He waited for Ino to stand before he walked through the glass doors.

* * *

Ino walked silently behind him as he made his way to the kitchen. She stared at his back as he walked in front of her, only a foot away. He stopped abruptly in the kitchen and turned to her. "You want something to eat?" He chuckled and brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, causing Ino to blush at the contact. "I bet you want that cigarette taste out of your mouth, huh?" Ino nodded and watched Shikamaru smirk before getting a couple cups from the cupboard and pouring them both a glass of milk.

"What do you want for breakfast, I mean you aint got much of a variety besides old cereal and some month old sushi." He said, Ino knelt beside him searching his refridgerator for some edible substances. He sighed and knelt beside her. "There really isn't anything in there, would you like me to take you out for some breakfast?" She looked over at him to see him smile, and a smile crept onto her face also, they stood up and Ino chugged her milk, setting the glass in the sink and walked to her room to change.

Ino opened her door and walked to her closet, finding nothing but halter tops and spaghetti straps. She shuddered at her revealing clothing and grabbed some pants, and slid the shorts she had on last night down, stepping into the pants. She growled frustratedly as she tore through her closet. She MUST have a decent shirt to wear somewhere. No of course she didn't. She nearly forgot she was slutty. She grabbed her hair frustratedly and walked to Shikamaru's room and looked at him pleadingly.

He looked over at her as he pulled his black shirt over his head, she couldn't tell what he was thinking while she looked at him, puppy-dog eyes and her lip poked out.

She saw him visibly shiver and a look of happiness flicker over his features as he caught on. "Looks like old times Ino, you don't even gotta say a word and I know what you want." He laughed quietly, almost sadly as he walked to his closet and opened it. "I'm afraid I mostly have mesh or fishnet and some grungy T-shirts, but I think I may have some old shirts from our genin days." He smiled at her as he dug through his closet, Ino waiting patiently as she walked over and stood beside the closet, leaning against the wall. She heard a muffled 'aha found you lil' bastards!?' and almost smiled as he emerged from his black hole of a closet. He pulled the shirt out to reveal it was his old green vest, he handed her one of his mesh shirts from genin days and she smiled, beamed up at him as she took them and walked out of his room with a glow radiating from her.

* * *

Shikamaru was glad he could make her smile. She was improving and he hoped that soon enough she would be talking again. He knew it might be a little bit more than he should wish for, but he wouldn't take it back. He really did hope she would return to her normal self. He walked into the living room and smiled as Ino emerged from her room with his genin outfit on, blue jeans replacing his usual brown shorts.

He felt butterflies swell in his stomach as she walked towards him with a worried expression. "You look great, dont worry." He said, placign a hand on her back as he led them to the door.

They walked down the stairs quietly, Ino sneaking her hand around Shikamaru's arm cautiously as they approached the main road. He wrapped his arm around her smaller one and walked slowly with her by his side.

"What do you want for breakfast?" He said, looking down at her and yawning. She smiled slightly and shrugged her shoulders. Shikamaru mentally sighed '_of course she wont answer you you dolt!"_He mentally slapped himself for that dumb comment. "Okay, well how about some bagels or donuts-" Her eye lit up when he mentioned donuts and he laughed, startling the small crowd of people with his sudden burst of laughter. Ino stuck her lip out in a pout as they walked to the stand.

"Sorry Ino I just missed you being so you, ya' know?" He smiled and lifted the curtains hanging from the entrance of the stall with a raised hand and ushered Ino inside.

A few heads looked up when they walked in with their arms linked. A voice more annoying than any other rang in his ears as he turned to the Inuzuka.

"Hello, Kiba." Shikamaru said in a bored tone, pulling out Ino's stool as they walked to one of the booths. Kiba followed in-tow. His smirk not leaving his face as Shikamaru sat next to Ino, their arms still linked.

"Hey there Shika-buddeh' I didn't know you and Ino-chan where an item!" He sat down across from them, smiling as he slipped a donut out form his pocket and fed it to Akamaru, who was hiding in his hood. Kiba looked over at Ino who was averting her eyes from everyone and a worried expression flashed over his usually high spirited features, the dog-boy having a mentality to rival Naruto's in enthusiasm.

"What's wrong Ino-chan, cat got your tongue?" He said quietly, the smile melting form his features. "Your not mad at me for the break-up before your mission are you?" He sounded slightly upset when he said those hushed words, Ino didn't look at him, instead she focused on the plate in front of her.

Shikamaru was take aback. He hadn't known that she and Kiba where dating before hand, and he was slightly jealous. _Wait- jealous...no he wasn't that would be stupid.. _Shikamaru looked at Kiba with an annoyed expression but the Inuzuka didn't get the hint and he scooted over to be in front of Ino, across the table.

"Are you gunna' answer me, I mean you at least owe me that after walking out on me!" His voice had grown considerably loud, and by now Ino's fingers were digging into Shikamaru's arm causing them to turn white, and bleed from where her finger nails bit into his skin.

"Kiba," Shikamaru said, standing from the table abruptly and grabbing the Inuzuka by the shirt. "I need to speak with you. PRIVATELY." The dog-boy stood from the table with an confused expression.

Shikamaru looked back at Ino who was looking up at him with a frightened expression. "I'll be right back Ino, don't move from that spot." She nodded and Shikamaru turned, dragging the boy out of the stall and pulling him a little ways from the entrance.

Kiba pried himself form Shikamaru's grip and jogged to catch up to him, walking by his side and looking at him with a strange expression.

"What is the meaning of all this Nara?" He said, really confused as to why Shikamaru looked angry.

Shikamaru looked at him and his face soften slightly as he spoke.

"Ino has went through some major shit over this mission, she is so traumatized from it that she wont speak to anyone...If you want details you ask the Hokage for clearance, all I am going to tell you is to leave her to herself and you tell everyone else not to bother her or they will answer to me, got it?" Shikamaru felt anger bubble up inside him as he thought about all the people who would like to make Ino upset, and soem that wouldn't know they were doing it, like Kiba.

"Look Shikamaru I'm sorry I just didn't know, but yeah I will tell them." He said, patting Shikamaru on the shoulder and smiling. "At least you finally got her to yourself, huh?"

Shikamaru felt himself blush as the Inuzuka barked out loud in howling laughter. "I knew it, even if you aren't an item you wish you were!" Kiba said, as he turned to walk back to the stall, Shikamaru jogged up to him and looked away, the blush still on his cheeks.

"Am I that obvious?" He said, looking at Kiba in the eyes.

"Like a open book, Nara,"He patted his back and led him back in with a smile, leaning in towards him so only they could hear. "But don't worry I don't think your cover is blown yet." He smiled once again at Shikamaru's discomfort and walked back to his own table, where Shino was sitting patiently.

Shikamaru sat down next to Ino and squeezed her hand tightly. "So you want chocolate or vanilla?" He smiled as she pointed to the jelly filled one on the serving menu.

"Of course I should have known you would want the messy one." He smiled down at her warmly as he stood and walked to the counter, ordering two jelly donuts and glancing over at Kiba and Shino's table. He saw them and quirked an eyebrow. Kiba's hand was resting on Shino's leg, and it was very high up. He gulped when he saw Shino's hand move Kiba's to a unseen and frankly and unwanted to be seen place. Shikamaru gaped and turned his head towards the front where the cashier just smiled and handed him his change and two plates of donuts. More than he had asked for, but what can he say to a foreigner. Oh well. He walked back to the table still slightly in shock as he sat down.

He looked at Ino who had a worried look on her face.

Shikamaru gulped hard and sat beside her slowly, passing her a plate. "Did you know about Kiba and Shino?" Shikamaru watched as she nodded her head, taking a big bite of her donut and jelly squirting on her cheek.

"Is that why you ended it?" She nodded yet again.

"Does he know you know?" She shook her head. 'no.'

"Oh..well that is slightly disturbing." He said, looking over at the couple who where now sitting closer, kiba licking something off of Shino's cheek. No one seemed to notice the boys display of affection, that is except a shocked Shikamaru.


	4. Whispers

**I do not own naruto**

**I hope you enjoy.. and review it!**

**I'm greatful for all of my readers reviews. your all so kind. thank you so much.**

**anyways onto what you clicked this link for...the next chapter of 'dont speak.'**

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Ch.4 - Whispers.

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"Of course I should have known you would want the messy one." He smiled down at her warmly as he stood and walked to the counter, ordering two jelly donuts and glancing over at Kiba and Shino's table.

_He saw them and quirked an eyebrow. Kiba's hand was resting on Shino's leg, and it was very high up. He gulped when he saw Shino's hand move Kiba's to a unseen and frankly an unwanted to be seen place. Shikamaru gaped and turned his head towards the front where the cashier just smiled and handed him his change and two plates of donuts. More than he had asked for, but what can he say to a foreigner. Oh well. He walked back to the table still slightly in shock as he sat down._

_He looked at Ino who had a worried look on her face._

_Shikamaru gulped hard and sat beside her slowly, passing her a plate. "Did you know about Kiba and Shino?" Shikamaru watched as she nodded her head, taking a big bite of her donut and jelly squirting on her cheek._

_"Is that why you ended it?" She nodded yet again._

_"Does he know you know?" She shook her head. 'no.'_

_"Oh..well that is slightly disturbing." He said, looking over at the couple who where now sitting closer, kiba licking something off of Shino's cheek. No one seemed to notice the boys display of affection, that is except a shocked Shikamaru._

_end of recap._

* * *

Shikamaru leaned against the back of the booth and sighed, "What do you want to do today Ino?" He looked over at her with a bored expression. Lately it had been hard to keep his boredom at bay. He tried so hard to keep a pleasant facette, but he found at times he would relax too much and become cold again.

He looked her way, she held the same expression as he and it made him smile. "How about we go out to the deer farm? I haven't exactly been going since you came home." He scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly.

Shikamaru not doing his duties and taking care of the herd meant his father, Shikato, would be doing it. Which meant alot of bitching would come out of this. He sighed, but he knew it needed to be done.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her nod her head and he stood, reaching out a hand to grab her arm securely and help her out of her seat. She smiled up at him and wrapped her arm around his as the exited the stand, but not without getting "aww how sweets!" from women standing outside the booths gossiping.

That was JUUUUUUUUST what Shikamaru needed. A town full of troublesome women making a big deal out of a little arm holding.

He let his eyes wander up to the clouds. Today was beautiful infact it was more clear and blue than it had been the past week.

It had been rainy and that made the clouds ugly grey and black. He could not stand to look at tainted clouds, those angry,crying, clouds when they were that way, It made him cringe to even think of that.

He smiled up at them. Today they were beautiful though, so he really couldn't complain.

He looked to the side and saw Ino watching the road ahead of him, and stiffen as she looked ahead like a deer caught in head lights. Her arm closed around his own more and he squinted ahead to see what was making Ino act this way-

"NARA!!" A woman with sandy blonde hair ran up to greet him with a punch on his opposite arm, a huge smirk on her face as she looked him over.

"Temari," He said curtly, nodding in her direction, feeling Ino tighten her grip on his arm. What was her problem?

"Long time no see deer-boy, how have you been?" Her grin immediately turned into a smirk as she laid eyes on Ino. "OOh are you dating?" She said, leaning over to look at the tight grip they had on each other's arm.

Ino immediately recoiled, slightly hiding behind him as the loud woman smirked, watching as Ino averted her eyes.

"What's her deal, are you embarrassed of the cry baby?" She smiled teasingly and looked back to Shikamaru. "So?"

"I have been busy to say the least, just as I am now, so why don't we continue this later?" He said, yawning and wiping his eye lazily. Temari smirked at him.

"Oh yes, must get back to your date." She smiled and patted his shoulder. "Oh, by the way, I was looking for your father, He has some knew antidote from deer antlers that I was sent to recover. so do you know where he is?"

"I dont know where he is _exactly_, but he is probably out on a mission or with Inoichi somewhere doing who knows what." He walked past her a little ways. "So look for him yourself." He smiled to himself knowing that this would aggrivate the sand kunoichi to no end, but he heard no complaints, only felt his other arm being looped together with something.

He looked down at Temari with a bored expression. "What are you doing?" He grumbled, trying to reclaim his arm.

"Well I am coming with you, silly." She said, a playful smirk dancing across her lips. "Unless you want _'alone'_ time with your girlfriend?"

Shikamaru sighed and stopped pulling at his arm. "Fine, you troublesome woman."

* * *

Ino bit her lip softly, raking her teeth over it repeatedly."_troublesome was meant for me, not some other little tramp_." She bit her lip harder, looking over at Shikamaru. _"Why do I feel so...so..so **jealous**?"_ She let her vision go back to her feet as they walked down the bustling streets of Konoha. Her arm loosened from Shikamaru as her thoughts wandered far off into the depths her mind. She didn't notice that they had turned down a few streets and where now walking up his driveway. She sighed quietly, looking up as they all stopped, Shikamaru sliding his arms from both of the women, and walking up to the door and opening it without knocking.

Ino followed cautiously behind him, Temari bringing up the rear. She looked around as they walked in, hearing the sounds of movement in the kitchen she turned left through the archway, passing Shikamaru as he looked around lazily.

"INO-BABY!" Yoshino called joyfully, taking the blonde haired-kunoichi into a loving embrace. Ino stiffened, but soon melted into her arms. She returned the hug cautiously, but soon was standing in a warm-slightly swinging, back and forth embrace. She let a small smile flicker over her lips as Yoshino pulled back and took a look at her. "Dear, you look different- oh has he been feeding you right?" She glared over Ino's head at her son, who was leaning against the doorframe with a blank expression.

* * *

"Hello son, it is nice to meet you too!" She spat sarcastically, stalking over to her son and pinching his cheek hard, pulling him into the dining room. "Why do you randomly just pop out of no-where? hmm? you only come when you need something!" She whined, mumbling about him never visiting because he _'just felt like he wanted to see his mother_.'

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I came to talk to Shikato." He said, letting himself slide into a dining chair as he looked his mother over. She seems to have accumulated more wrinkles since his genin days.

Temari finally walked into the room, standing near Shikamaru's chair uncomfortably. His mother looked her over with a smile. "Why hello, I dont believe I have met you before? Your a friend of my little 'fawn' aren't you?"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth as the nickname left her lips. A smile dancing across Temari's smug features. "Oh yes we are wonderful friends." She laid a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her in disgust. "My name is Temari." She bowed to his mother politely, causing Shikamaru to grunt in disapproval.

He looked over at Ino, who was standing over next to the sliding glass doors, that led to the patio in the back yard. A small smile passing over her lips as a shadow washed over the front of the door.

It opened with a swoosh and immediately a sweaty, stinking, old man with black pineapple-styled hair stepped it with a grin. "Long time no see kit. " He said, reaching over and ruffling Ino's hair. She simply smiled warmly at him, and looked behind him as another figure popped through the door.

"My baby!" A loud, boisturous voice boomed through the kitchen as he embraced his daughter. "I haven't seen you in months! Is that nara boy treating you decently?" Inoichi looked around the room suspiciously as he pressed the girl against his chest.

"Of course Inoichi-kun, how could he not without fear of your painful wrath?" Yoshino said, smiling at the man as he grinned triumphantly.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and shrugged Temari's hand from his shoulders as he stood, towering above his mother and Temari, who sat near him.

"Shikato, I need to speak with you." He said, walking towards the glass doors. Shikato grunted and pushed ahead of his son, slamming the door behind them both.

When they were far enough away from the house, he stood beside his father, side-by-side as they faced away from the house. "Shikato I-" His father backhanded him with little force, causing his head to turn slightly.

"Do not refer to me with my name, you will call me father or you will not speak to me at all." His father spat as he faced away from the house again.

"Excuse me, Father, but I came to speak to you about Subaku no Temari coming for an antidote?" He said, dropping his hand from his face and stuffing them hastily into his pockets.

a long moment of silence passed through both of them as the tension slowly slithered away.

His father nodded and sighed loudly. "Yes she is here for the antidote I made especially for the sand village, they have been getting reports of people coming down with mysterious rashes and such lately, and so hokage-sama requested that her apprentace and I make an antidote for the allied village." He looked over at his son quietly, the same bored expression marring both of their faces, masking their true thoughts.

"I see, the other reason I came is to let Ino relax, she has been really uptight lately and I thought the deer might calm her nerves." Shikamaru half-whispered as he stared off towards the pasture.

His father looked his way with a smirk. "Ah yes, I remember when I brought your mother out here to 'roll around in the deer grass' , that seemed to cure her quiet side also." His father laughed at the look of pure disgust crossing his sons face. His laughter vibrating Shikamaru's bones as he heaved, holding his stomach.

His father stood up sloaching, wiping a tear from his eye as he turned around. "You should have seen the look on your face son, that was PRICELESS!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and walked towards the house,"_Father and his sexual innuendo_." He grimmaced and slid himself through the doors and shut them quietly behind himself.

* * *

Ino looked down at the photo-album for the upteenth time since childhood, but it never got old to see little Shikamaru stark naked. She smiled as she looked at the picture of him sleeping:

_**He was sprawled out on a deer skin rug, his thumb popped into his mouth and his eyebrows furrowed, his little legs in a spread eagle fashion and his little weewee exposed for everyone's eyes to see.**_

Ino giggled at the sight, hearing the men re-enter the room made her giggle fit turn into quiet laughter. A unspoken joke dancing across her eyes as Shikamaru walked in to see the album on the table. _'is it still that_-'

Her thoughts were interupted by a grinning sandy blonde.

"Is it still that small Shikamaru?" She said teasingly, causing all the older adults in the house to break into hysterics.

"Har har." He mimicked, flipping Temari "the bird" discreetly.

Ino smiled at him, causing his face to soften for a moment, then harden again. "Temari you should be getting that antidote and returning to your brothers before they send out a search party..like last time." He said, turning his face towards his father with a 'hurry up gesture' .

Shikato complied, walking into another room and returning shortly after with a case full of the antidote. "There are many vials, make sure to let Kankuro-san replecate them when you return to the sand village." He said sternly.

Temari smiled and took the case gently, sliding it into in her bag. "No problem, pops." she bowed as she reached the door. "Sorry for taking up your valuable time- Shika-kun." She smirked and flicked his head. " Later cry baby." She walked out the door fluidly, swaying her hips cockily as she walked down the driveway.

Ino grimmaced, glad she was gone, but still disgusted by her presence.

Everyone turned back to the album as The sand sibling left the property, their eyes glued to the pictures of a smiling-no-toothed-baby Shikamaru.

His mother let out a dramatic sob and clung to her husband, "Where did the smiles go honey?" She said, her acting causing everyone but Shikamaru to laugh.

"Lighten up boy, I dont know who shoved that stick up your ass but-" Yoshino cutt her husband off mis-dentence with an elbow to the gut.

"Dont ruin it!" She hissed. "I haven't seen my baby in months!" She stood up and hugged her son tightly. "IF ONLY he would come to see his OWN MOTHER!" She pinched his butt hard and walked to the kitchen with a 'humph' as he rubbed his aching cheek.

Ino smiled sadly at them, if only she still had her mother. She looked up to Yoshino as a mother. Yoshino was always there when Ino couldn't talk to her father. She talked to her about boys, and training, and how she felt when Sasuke left. She cringed at his name.

She looked around the room sadly, "_Shikamaru has a mother, but he choses to just ignore her...if I still had my mother..if I knew her_.." She stood and walked past Shikamaru and into the kitchen.

Yoshino was sitting at the dinning room table, her back turned to Ino as she sat infront of the older woman. Her eyes were closed, but honey colored orbs flashed open as Ino sat in the creaking, wooden chair.

"What's wrong dear?" Yoshino said, placing a hand on Ino's that was resting on the maple table top. Her face was marred with concern, the wrinkles becoming more defined as she looked at Ino's form. "You can tell mommy Yoshi anything, you know that."

Ino looked up at her, the moisture forming in her eyes as she looked at the older woman. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but no words would come out.

Yoshino looked at her expectantly, patiently. She really wasn't a patient woman, but she was always trying for Ino, maybe to make up for the loss of her mother. Ino heard stories about her generous and loving mother. Maybe Yoshino was trying to give her some of that love.

"I don't know what happened to you, Ino, but whatever it was you need to tell someone. ANYONE...heck even Shikamaru." She whispered onl slightly louder than before. Ino shook her head at the woman. 'not Shika'

"Well darling, I think he will be the most understanding, seeming how he was the one to come to get you, He jumped at the chance not even waiting for a team to help him retrieve you." She patted Ino's hand and looked at her, soft eyes becoming moist and gentle. "He cares, Ino, If he didn't he wouldn't try to make you happy."

Ino smiled weakly at the woman. She nodded her head 'I know that'. Yoshino smiled and stood abruptly, laughing a little. "WELL what do you say we start some lunch, yeah?"

Ino stood as the men piled into the kitchen, all looking ravenous. Shikato was the first to speak.

"Troublesome woman, what are you burning this time?" He walked over to her, where she had just turned the burners on the stove up on high. Yoshino smiled over her shoulder.

"Oh how I enjoy your endearing words of love, honey." She smiled as he grimmaced at her, turning her back on him to go to the fridge.

Ino smiled, Shikamaru was just like his father.

She heard Shikato growl, it was very quiet but audible only if you were listening for it. She looked at the two fondly, before noticing that Shikamaru and her father had left the room. She looked around, seeing the back door open, so she made her way over to it. But not before seeing Shikato grope his wife and lean her against the counter, kissing her neck- then Ino was quickly outside with a blush on her face.

Maybe Shikamaru wasn't exactly like his old man.

The sound of her father chuckling brought her to attention. She saw Shikamaru standing beside him with a smile on his face.

They were talking about something. It was amazing her father wasn't killing Shikamaru for Ino living with him, but he must have understood why she was. Inoichi was never home, always out on missions, so he couldn't "take care of his baby" like he needed to. Maybe that was why he excepted Shikamaru for her guardian.

She walked over to the fence, where a small fawn was standing, eating grass away from the rest of the herd. Her hand gently gliding over its soft brown, spotted coat. It mewled at her. A strange noise from a deer. She smiled, taking its ears in her fingers and rubbing the velvety soft hair there.

it rubbed against the fence longingly, and Ino found herself leaning into the fence too, sitting down beside it and tickling the fawns ears through the wire fence.

Her mind was completely blank, she only looked at the small creature with love. It nuzzled her hand through the fence gently, licking her palm with a long tongue.

She giggled softly and kissed it's nose through the fence, leaning against it and running her fingers through it's hair.

Shikamaru walked over to Ino, after her father returned to the kitchen after a brief conversation. Not a happy one, albeit, but a breif one none the less.

He smiled at her, walking over and hearing her giggling. He sat beside her, whistling a sweet tune that made the fawn stand and walk to him. He caressed its muzzle softly, running two fingers up the bridge of its snout and through the small bump on it's head. His fingers gliding over the velvet ears. He smiled at it and cooed. "Yakul...why aren't you with your mother, hm?" The fawn mewled at him and he frowned, standing to his feet and walking over to a gate to their left.

He looked around with eager eyes "Yauna?" He called, a different tune spurting from his lips eagerly. He shut the gate behind him, motioning for Ino to stay behind the fence as he searched.

The herd looked up at him, then resumed their grazing. The fawn, yakul, followed after Shikamaru slowly.

Not Five minutes later, Shikamaru poofed on the patio, hurriedly sticking his head in and barking at his father to hurry the hell up and help him deliver yauna's new fawns. He ran back out, poofing back to where he came from with a warm towel and a bucket of steaming water.

Ino looked over to the trees, seeing a puff of smoke and Shikamaru bending over a large brown blob.

Shikato rushed from the house to the deer barn, to fetch supplies, while Yoshino grabbed Ino's hand happily and tugged her through the gate and they walked swiftly to the doe that was giving birth.

Shikamaru had a hand on her neck, gently stroking as the doe cried out. He hummed a sweet tune to her, as one of his hands stroked her swollen belly.

"Hush now Yauna, brother will take care of you." He whispered as he kissed above her eye. She made a soft grunt and her body seemed to relax. he dabbed at her bleeding core as the small body started to protrude the opening. Ino held a hand over her mouth tight as she watched Shikamaru lift the legs of the mother deer and place the towel under her. Shikato was stroking the doe's face gently and whispering incouraging words in her ears, as Shikamaru calmly hummed a soft tune.

It happened quicker than Ino had suspected, Two new born fawn lay infront of her. She let out tears of excitement, as she had been holding her breath for what seemed like hours.

She watched Shikamaru dab the blood from the new born with a smile. A joyous, pure, loving smile.

Ino smiled down at him, feeling Yoshino's hand leave her own briefly as she bent down and helped clean the other fawn. Shikamaru turned to Ino with a blissful expression. That was something Ino wanted him to keep on his face forever.

He held the tiny deer up to Ino with a wistful smile. "What do you think?" He looked at her eagerly then he looked down at the fawn sadly, stroking it with his index finger.

Ino could tell he was upset she didn't say a word. He had been trying for a week. She sighed and placed her finger on the small fawns head and stroked it lovingly, staring at it's closed eyes while her finger passed over Shikamaru's own absentmindedly. Without thinking she wrapped her hand around his, still looking at the baby in his hands. She smiled tenderly down at it, then returned her attention to Shikamaru, who was just looking at her with a blank expression.

She quickly removed her hand from his, looking up to see Shikato looking at her with a grin. She blushed and moved over to Yoshino.

Shikamaru's mother looked up at her with a smile, catching the glimmer of worry in Ino's eyes.

"She will be fine dear." Shikato said from the other side, grabbing one of the fragile bodies of the fawn and placing it by its mother. "Son, give him to his mother."

Shikamaru looked over at Yauna and placed the fawn beside his sister. "Well done sister." Shikamaru whispered, as he stroked her muzzle gently.

Ino smiled at Shikamaru's back.

_"who knew you could be so gentle."_

* * *

Shikamaru stood up from his place on the hay, looking over to see Yauna sleeping with her two newborns in her stall. A smile crept over his face as he walked out from the barn, staring at the sparkling green grass, the droplets of water chilling his feet as he walked through the dew. Light sprinkled of rain pelted against his skin gently as he made his way to his parent's home. It was 3:40 something in the afternoon and he was pretty sure that Ino wanted to go home or something.

He tapped his bare feet against the door mat and walked inside, noticing two pairs of large sandals missing. He squinted in suspicion, looking around for those scheming old men.

After a tedius search for his father and the elder Yamanaka, he noticed he didn't see his mother either.

He walked all around the house, finally noticing his mother's bedroom door was closed, which never happens. He walked to the door an took a peak inside to see his mother sleeping, her chest rising and falling slowly. He sighed quietly and did a double take. _'where is Ino?_' He turned and looked in almost every room in every hall.

He stopped and turned around cautiously, walking to the last room he hadn't checked yet.

He twisted the knob slowly and slid into the dark room, noticing the familiar blanket that blocked the sun from the window. He smiled and walked forward, seeing a lump under his covers. He smiled at the soft blonde hair protruding from the covers, her soft breathing leaving a steady beat vibrating in his mind. He looked down upon her, noticing something different, he pulled the covers down slightly.

His jaw dropped slightly as he gazed down at her, She was wearing his old shirt from his genin days, the nara symbol on the arms and chest of the shirt.

_"It looks so good on her.."_ he thought as he traced the emblem that rested on the sleeve. _" no shut up Shikamaru..what are you fucking thinking?"_ He shook his head, retracting his hand as she let out a soft groan in her sleep.

He smiled down at her knowingly. _'bad dreams.._' Suddenly, her hand reached up and grabbed his own as she whimpered in her sleep. "shika-" Her voice cut of slowly as the word left her mouth. She moaned in her sleep, pulling him down on the bed with her.

His eyes widened in surprise. _"She just said my name! albeit it was in her sleep but she spoke!"_

* * *

omg that is chapter four for you. i had to leave it at that. tell me what you think. i think my writing skills have dwendled..i apologize. i have been so busy with school. my head hurts and it is 11:26 pm on sunday night an i got classes tomorrow. albeit is only four. it is an A-day tommorrow which means, Art1, Welding and or Ag. mechanics, Wildlife (a branch of FFA) and finally english. joy to the world im surrounded by men and sweat all day..then varsity football players too! could ,my day get better?? (sarcasmmm much??) lol . anyway review me plz. and i will post the next chappie.

* * *


	5. Thoughts of our peers

_HELLO ALL!_

hehe

ok so I didnt get that many reviews for chapter four either. I'm kinda upset and that is why the update is late.

* * *

**CH.5**

**The thoughts of our friends..**

* * *

So in this chappie I'm thinkin' that we will focus more on the relationships and thoughts of our characters friends. so enjoy. It **will **have mostly shikaino. don't worry. but it will also include the others. yupp yupp. and a little surprise at the end. even if it isnt really a happy one.

_

* * *

_

He twisted the knob slowly and slid into the dark room, noticing the familiar blanket that blocked the sun from the window. He smiled and walked forward, seeing a lump under his covers. He smiled at the soft blond hair protruding from the covers, her soft breathing leaving a steady beat vibrating in his mind. He looked down upon her, noticing something different, he pulled the covers down slightly.

_His jaw dropped slightly as he gazed down at her, She was wearing his old shirt from his genin days, the nara symbol on the arms and chest of the shirt._

_"It looks so good on her.." he thought as he traced the emblem that rested on the sleeve. "_ **no shut up Shikamaru..what are you fucking thinking?**_" He shook his head, retracting his hand as she let out a soft groan in her sleep._

_He smiled down at her knowingly. 'bad dreams..' Suddenly, her hand reached up and grabbed his own as she whimpered in her sleep. "shika-" Her voice cut of slowly as the word left her mouth. She moaned in her sleep, pulling him down on the bed with her._

_His eyes widened in surprise. "_**She just said my name! albeit it was in her sleep but she spoke!**_"_

* * *

The wind brushed against Ino's legs as she walked quietly beside Shikamaru. He was being unusually quiet today and it was starting to take effect on her nerves.

Her hand tightened around his as they walked back into the shopping district, where most of the shops and stalls were located. To her utter surprise the street was almost completely empty.

She felt Shikamaru stop to survey the area, something seemed completely off.

She looked over at Shikamaru with furrowed eyebrows, the silent question lingering in the air for a moment before he shrugged it off. "They must be preparing for the fall festival." He said quietly, his arm re-linking with her own as he continued on his way back to "their" apartment. Ino sighed, walking slowly beside him as they looked casually at the small stalls and shop windows.

Normally, Ino would stop at every window and buy at LEAST one thing from each store, but today she strolled quietly beside him, and simply observed her surroundings. She looked down at her shoes, a simple pair of black sandals and sighed. She missed shopping, or rather, the rush that came from spending other people's money, but she couldn't be like that anymore.

She had made a decision, and she wasn't going back on it. She wasn't going to be that little defenseless girl who loved to shop and reapply her make up every five minutes. Look where all of that primping had gotten her. She would just continue on this new road of self discovery until she found what she wanted to be, and maybe that didn't include being a ninja anymore. Her heart ached at that realization. She loved being a ninja, not just because boys looked at you more often, not that she really wanted that now, but it was because of the way her team looked when they completed a job, the look on their faces after a successful mission.

Suddenly as if a ton of bricks just slammed into her chest she stopped, and looked around at all the food stalls around her. Her arm unlinked from Shikamaru's as she slowly pulled away, in almost a dream like state. Her heart was racing, but she could only walk slowly towards his favorite food stall. Her hands clasped the curtains gently as she drew them back, to empty stools and an old man leaning against the counter.

"Hello there miss how can I-" Before he could finish his sentence she released the curtain and walked to the next stall, repeating this process until she was at the end of the rows of barbeque stands. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, her hands shaking. She looked around, her world spinning and her feet feeling numb, she ran around the small area, ducking her head through every stall twice over to make sure she hadn't missed him.

She wasn't sure if Shikamaru was looking for her, or if he had noticed that she had left his arm, but she was certain- no she really wasn't- that maybe he would try to find her. Not Shikamaru though. She wanted 'him' to find her. To take her in his warm arms and tell her everything would be fine. Maybe he was laying down, resting in that patch of grass beneath the tree at training ground ten-

Her feet were flying off of the ground, Her hair blowing back and into her eyes as she increased her speed. Her eyes were tearing up, she couldn't find 'him' anywhere.

She stopped beneath that familiar tree, and knelt against it. Where could 'he' be? She felt tears poke around on the inside of her eyelids, and the bitter cold catch them sliding down her cheeks as she leaned against the tree.

* * *

Shikimaru watched as she ducked into each of the stalls, his heart breaking as he watched her pace become more frantic. He felt tears prickle against his cheeks as he followed in suit behind her, his hands tucked into his pockets leasuriously, but he was far from relaxed.

He felt a pang in his heart as she ran from the stalls, down the dirt path towards the training ground. He slid his hands from his pockets, and walked briskly behind Ino, trying to think of comforting words.

He looked at her, curled up on that special patch of grass under 'their' tree and sighed a shaky breath. He walked towards her and knelt down beside her. "Ino, he is gone."

He reached his hand out to touch her reassuringly but was shrugged off.

He crawled towards her, and wrapped his arms around her, all the while fighting to keep her still as she tried to pull away. Tears rolled down his cheeks as she continued to bang her fists against his chest.

-

Tenten grinned as she sunk down to the ground, her eyes on the hyuuga standing ruffly fifty feet from where she lay. She ran at him, heading straight for him at a 45 degree angle, where there was a gap in the byaakuugan, the only real weakness on the hyuuga body.

She pulled out a scroll and leaped into the air above Neji, "Dancing Dragon." She whispered as she whipped her thumb across the ink, causing an surplus of kunai and senbon to appear in the shape of a winding dragon. "3..2..1-Shit!"

* * *

At that moment Neji appeared behind her, using his fingers to jab at her pressure points, blocking her chakra and causing her body to fall limp at his feet.

"Training is over, Tenten." Neji said solemnly.

Tenten looked up at him defiantly.

A smile pulled at the edges of neji's lips as he looked down at her, but he kept his facette stern.

* * *

Tenten's heart raced as their skin met, her not so delicat hands sliding into his naturally soft ones. He pulled her up from the ground, and she stood there with her heart racing as he held her hand roughly.

"Tenten let go of my hand." He glared down at their contacting hands. Tenten swiftly pulled hers away and stuck them in her pockets.

"Gomen, Neji." She said, looking off to the right, avoiding those pearly ovals that he used to bore into her soul.

"You should be getting home." He said, his eyes looking down upon her.

It wasn't that she was THAT inferior to him, he was just a head and a half taller than she was.

"But-"

"No buts Tenten. ." And just like that he turned on his heel and walked off.

Tenten sighed as she replaced all of her weapons back into their rightful scrolls and started to walk out of the training grounds.

--

Tenten heard the sound of sobbing, her throat hitched as she turned the corner:

There lay Ino and what was his name? Shikamaru!

They lay in the center of training feild nine crumpled together, Ino sobbing out their chubby teammate's name.

"It'll be okay now Ino, He is in a better pla-" Shikamaru'svoice hitched, and he looked up to see Tenten standing fifty feet away.

He closed his eyes and pulled Ino closer.

Tenten backed away slowly, feeling that she had intruded on some special moment, she watched only a few seconds more, before disappearing form the training grounds.

--

Ichiraku rose into her views as she walked down the empty street. IT was late, almost midnight, so barely a soul was out.

Tenten walked to the stand, pushing the curtain from her path as she ducked in and sat on one of the stools.

"The usual." She sighed, laying her cheek upon her hand and staring at the pots of boiling ramen dreamily.

"Here you go miss Tenten, And what will it be for you Hyuuga-san?" He said, sliding the bowl of ramen infront of Tenten.

Tenten's body went stiff as she felt the icy glare of Neji bore into her back.

"Nothing for me, thank you." He mumbled, sliding into the seat next to Tenten.

It was quiet for a long moment, Tenten didn't dare look his way, she still felt the ice upon her back.

* * *

Neji leaned over slightly, so that only Tenten could hear him. "I thought I told you to go home Tenten."  
Tenten swallowed her mouthful of ramen slowly, then looked over at him with a calm facette.

"Well, Neji you aren't my boss." She said, waving her chopsticks around as she looked him dead in the eye.

A smirk slithered across his beautiful face.

Tenten almost melted beneath his glare.

"Of course." He said calmly, his voice emotionless as ever.

Tenten looked away from him, her hands starting to shake. "But you act like you do." She mumbled, pushing the bowl towards the counter. "Thank you." She said, laying out her money and standing from her stool.

"Goodnight, Neji-kun." Tenten managed as she walked away.

--

Tenten knew he was following her. She felt it in her bones, and that is why when she heard his footfalls behind her, she did not turn.

"Are you coming in?" She asked, turning into his broad chest.

Tenten was taken aback.

"Hn." Neji said, holding her keys up.

"Theif." She said jokingly, snatching the keys from him with a scowl.

Neji walked in behind her, shutting the door and standing by the couch as she propped her feet upon the table.

"You know you can sit down, like a normal human being." She said, laughing as he sat opposite of her, in a recliner.

-

Things had been changing lately, Neji made frequent visits at odd hours and they trained more often that ever before.

"Is there something bothering you Neji?" She asked, removing her feet from the table.

Neji just looked at her with that emotionless face.

"You don't have to be like that when you are around me, Neji." She said, looking away from his gaze.

She had always felt incredible uneasy under his gaze. Half of it could be that he was studying her, scrutinuzing her every move and waitign for a chance to pounce. The other half could be that she was in love...

Tenten felt him move closer, and she opened her eyes to find him directly above her, his hands placed on either side above her head. "Why won't you look at me?" He said, his nose almost touching her own as he slanted his eyes into a glare.

Tenten laughed quietly. "It's just unsettling." She said, pushing him away with one hand.

"I saw something strange today." She said, changing the subject.

"Hn." Neji responded, sitting on the couch.

"I saw Yamanaka-san and Nara-san together at the training feilds."

"As did I." He said with a smirk.

Tenten nodded.

"He is her caretaker till she recovers, is what I heard." Tenten continued, looking over at Neji.

He nodded in response, it must be true.

"I think that there is something other than friendship between those too, did you see the way he held her?" Tenten smirked, looking over her shoulder at Neji. "Are you staying for very long?" She asked, turning towards him.

"Aa.." He said, walking towards the door. "Goodnight, Tenten." Then he opened the door and walked away.

"Guess not then."

Tenten walked into her bedroom, pulling her shirt over her head, and unclasping her bra she walked into the bathroom and started a bath.

"I'll talk to Sakura tomorrow."

* * *

So that is it for now, sorry for the wait but i wasnt gettign any reviews or anything.


	6. Strange happenings

_HELLO ALL!_

he he

just a nother chapter for dontspeak

* * *

His hands curled inside of his pockets as the cool night air bit at his cracked lips. He placed a cigarette in his mouth, eyes closed tightly as he brought the lighter up to light his sliver of cancer. He felt her move beside his leg, but paid no head as she quickly stilled, whatever had roused her from her slumber seemingly gone as she did not move.

Shikamaru sat in the cold midnight air, calloused fingers massaging his temples as he thought of all that needed to be done.

**Everything.**

Ino's little check up with the Hokage was coming up in two days time, and he had to find a way to get her to speak to him, even if it meant that she was only talking to him, which he preferred over any other solution at the moment.

Frankly, The young strategist had no idea what his next course of action was, as far as Ino was concerned he was clueless.

He sighed loudly, his fingers brushing over his face, then capturing the bridge of his nose as if to concentrate, he opened his eyes and stared up at the stars. Life is cruel..

--

Shikamaru looked down at Ino, his eyes softening as he placed a stray hair back behind her ear. He felt so vulnerable when with her, like he should be on red alert, always the guardian. He smiled down at her sleeping form, his fingers sliding through her hair as he thought about tomorrow.

He grimaced, "Might as well tell her the jist of things." He decided, unaware that his fingers were still playing with her hair.

Shikamaru stood, fingers gently sliding from her golden locks as he looked out over his balcony with an somber expression, his hands fidgeting with the lighter he kept in his was Asuma-sensei's lighter, the silver one that you had to flip open. Shikamaru and the team had saved enough money to buy it for him, and when it came down to who got what, Shikamaru, being Asuma's favorite pupil, got to pick what he wanted before the other team members did, and so he took his cigarettes, his lighter, his strategy journals, and left the rest for the team to pick.

He rolled the dull metal through his fingers, noting the scratches and small dents on it's exterior. In a way it reminded Shikamaru of Asuma, bendable maybe even dentible, but still there was a fire inside waiting to be unleashed. Shikamaru smiled faintly, flicking the top open and striking the small lever. "To Asuma." He whispered, letting the flame burn for a moment, until it was blown out by a sudden gust of wind.

"Heres to change." He whispered, sliding the metal container back into his breast pocket, then looking over at Ino, whose teeth were chattering quietly, because the wind had suddenly picked up.

Shikamaru cursed under his breath, the last thing he needed was for her to catch a cold.

Slowly, carefully, he slid his arm under her knees, and the other behind her head, and hoisted her up into his arms with a mild grunt. _"She's gotten heavier."_ He thought to himself as he walked in through the sliding doors on his balcony, kicking the door closed with his foot and walking towards his bedroom.

Shikamaru noted, as he laid her down onto his bed, that she hadn't slept in her own since she returned. A small grimace formed upon his calm face, and he looked down with his brows knitted closely together._ "Is she becoming dependent on me?"_ He thought, his hand automatically reaching up to hide the flush of red on his neck.

It wasn't that he found the idea repulsive, but what would happen if he was suddenly sent out on a mission? Would she allow someone other than he to take care of her? He highly doubted that, if that scenario where to happen, she would be taken to the Hokage..Maybe his mother would watch after her. He would just have to wait and find out, because the numerous amounts of possibilities were surging through his mind, and he didn't have room for things that weren't going to happen in the near future. Let's say? Like the appointment with Tsunade. He hoped that all would go over well, that maybe Ino would be allowed to stay in his care, but with this turn of events, (Ino finding out that Chouji was no longer in this world) His chances were slim. About a twenty-five percent success rate, and those weren't good odds. BUT there were also a few remaining factors that could make or break this delicate operation.

If he told Ino she would be taken away.

Would she decide to speak for his sake, and her own? Or would she deny him of helping her, and be put under Tsunade's watchful eye.

Shikamaru hoped for the former.

* * *

The next day rolled around, and Shikamaru had not moved from his spot on the bed sitting beside where the sleeping Ino rested. His eyes were outlined in black, from the lack of sleep. His hair was tousled and disheveled, sticking up every which way, and he had a cigarette,unlit, drooping from his mouth as he sat in complete silence pondering the possible events for today. One could say that Shikamaru Nara was a very stressed young man, very stressed indeed. AND that is why he did not notice that Ino had turned to face him, her cerulean eyes casting a tired glance in his general direction as they fluttered open, daylight making her squint.

Her slender hand rested on his knee softly with her forehead pressed against his thigh as she let out a long shaking breath.

Ino dispised morning more than ever, simply because she never woke up without the sun shining down into her eyes, and Shikamaru was always awake before her.

She looked up at him, taking notice that he had zoned out, a cigarette yet to be lit between his lips, and the effects of note shaving for a week was clearly noticeable. Shikamaru looked like a popper. No denying it. Ino smiled against his leg, pressing down upon it for support, she sat up, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Her heart ached, and she thought about mornings like this, back when she was a kunoichi and she and her teammates were on missions to far away lands. One night in particular reminded her of when she fell asleep on guard duty, and Shikamaru had taken her place, leaning against her so that she wouldn't fall down.

Ino smiled, her heart racing when she felt his hand cover her own briefly, then his head turn to rest on top of her own.

"Ino, I have to tell you something very important." He said, his voice husky from lack of use. Ino nodded her head against his shoulder, pressing her nose firmly against his neck and taking in his strong scent. He smelt just like cedar, freshly cut after the rainy season with a mixture of cigarette smoke and somethign else she couldn't identify.

"Ino, Tomorrow we- you have an appointment with the Hokage- " He started, feeling her flinch as he said appointment, he felt the need to clarify, "-It is to check and see your progress, to see if I have done you any good since you arrived here...It's been a month Ino and ...She said she would take you away and put you under someone else's care if I didn't succeed." Ino pushed her face even further into Shikamaru's neck, shaking her head slightly. "I know you don't want to go Ino, but if you don't speak in front of Lady Hokage..She WILL take you from me." He said, his voice filled with such finality that Ino had to pull back and look at him.

"She said you need to at least be communicating with me, maybe we could establish some sort of code system, like sign language?" He suggested, looking down at Ino.

Ino nodded, making Shikamaru smile. "I just have one more question." He said, leaning his head back against the head board and pulling his lighter out, so that he could finally light the cigarette between his teeth.

Ino looked up at him, her eyes eager as she tilted her head to the side. "Do you want to stay here with me?"

Ino's lips curved up into a smile, and her arms slowly wrapped around his torso. She leaned her head onto his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. "Yes, Shika-kun." She mouthed slowly, so lightly he barely felt her lips on his skin.

A smile tugged at Shikamaru's lips as he laid his hand over her back.

"Good."

* * *

It was wednesday morning and Tenten walked down the cold streets of Konoha with her eyes set on one goal: Talk to Sakura. She hadn't been able to talk to her the day after she saw Shikamaru and Ino, and she felt that she needed to know this, to know something Neji would not.

She had just gotten done with a sparring session between her and her closet, the sweat on her neck turning into drops of ice as she ran through the bustling morning rush of Konoha.

A smile graced her face as the tower came into view, and soon enough after many"Excuse me's and coming through's" She made it to the hospital just in time. Her hands clutched the handles on the doors with a shiver, as she pulled them open and slid inside. The temperature change was a drastic one, from the chaotic cold to the warm and fuzzy feeling she got as she walked in, seeing the very kunoichi she had been looking for leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. "Sakura-chan!" Tenten called, walking over to her with a smile.

Sakura's head lifted, pink locks falling from her eyes as she looked up at Tenten, who wore a smile on her face. But Sakura could not smile, her mind was in a state of panic and she was at the edge of a mental break down.

Tenten's smile faded as she neared the usually peppy pink haired kunoichi, her eyes showing concern as she stood infront of her. "Sakura, what's wrong?"

Sakura cast her head down, "Nothing Tenten, I just am really busy, did you need something?" She said, hoping her voice didn't sound to fake.

"Oh, I was just coming to talk to you about Ino.." She said watching as Sakura raised her head.

"What about Ino?" Sakura said, a fake smile spreading across lips, despite her concern for her friend, she tried to show that nothing was out of the ordinary, for how long she could hold the facade, she didn't know.

"Well, I saw her and Shikamaru the other day out by the training fields and they looked so..emotional." Tenten said, searching for the correct words.

Sakura's head tilted slightly. "Oh really, what do you mean emotional?" Her interest was piqued, and she was not about to let this go.

"Well, they were holding onto each other desperately, and Ino was sobbing about Chouji, so I guess she heard about his death." She said quietly, leaning against the wall beside Sakura. "Is there anything going on with them?" She inquired, looking Sakura straight in the eyes.

"I don't know, Ino doesn't talk much these days, and even if there was something, I don't believe Shikamaru would admit it to anyone." Sakura thought aloud, looking over to see that Tenten was headed towards the exit.

"Thanks Sakura! That is all I needed to know!" Tenten called, waving as she stepped back into the morning hustle of Konoha.

Tenten found herself at the training grounds again, her hands stuffed into her pockets so that they wouldn't freeze. She looked up suddenly, feeling a familiar chakra signature, her body completely stiffening as she felt it coem closer.

At first, she thought she was mistaken, but the more she waited, the more sure she was that it was 'him'.

Tenten had to inform the Hokage.

* * *

Shikamaru grabbed hold of Ino's hand firmly, drawing small circles on her knuckle with his index finger. "When I do this," He said, rubbing a circle against her knuckle, "You nod your head for yes, but if I draw two circles," He said, drawing two circles on her knuckle, " Then you nod your head no."

Ino shook her head in agreement, then waited for further instructions.

"If she asks anymore questions," He said, his eyes boring into her own. "Then I will draw the answers slowly against your palm, but you will have to tell her yourself, can you do that?"

Ino shook her head, then suddenly, her stomach did twists and flops and she had to rush to the bathroom, her hand over her mouth as she held it down long enough to reach a toilet.

Ino shivered, leaning over the toilet and blanching inside, effectively removing all of the contents of her dinner. Shikamaru walked in, his face twisted with concern and disgust as he held her hair back, stroking her cheeks. Ino smiled half-heartidly, but then returned to the toilet, staring down at the mess inside, and lurched a second time, coughing and sniffling as tears ran down her cheeks. She felt something strange inside of her body, unlike any flu or virus she had ever had.

Shikamaru continued to hold her hair though, one hand holding back her long blond locks, and the other stroking her back soothingly. "It's okay to be nervous before an appointment." He said, justifying her sudden illness with the fear of judgement passed on form Tsunade, but Ino didn't think she was that nervous.

Ino stood from the toilet, allowing Shikamaru to dab at her mouth and effectively clean it.

"I'm sorry to have to rush you Ino, but we need to get going if we want to arrive on time."

Ino nodded, and poured a cupful of mouthwash into her mouth and swished it around, before running off behind shikamaru, her head swimming with thoughts of the upcoming appointment.

--

They arrived at the Medical tower in record time, especially because Shikamaru had actually ran here with Ino.

They looked up at the forboding tower with grimaces on both of their faces. Instinctively they reached for each others hand, and walked towards the menacing building together.

Ino looked around the towers staircase with a scowl.

"No, we are taking the inside route." He said, pulling her in through the doors, only to be greated by ANBU guards.

"We are on high alert, Nara-san." One of the ANBU officers said, looking at Ino and Shikamaru, his mask was that of a wolverine.

Shikamaru nodded his head, "And why would that be?" He said, looking behind the ANBU soldiers and at the elevator.

"The S-class criminal, Uchiha Sasuke has been spotted in the Fire country, we were told to meet you here, and bring you directly to The Hokage ."

Ino's hand tightened in his grip, as the soldiers walked closer. "Let's get moving then, shall we?" He said calmly, holding Ino's hand tightly for reassurance.

"Very well." The ANBU guard said, turning towards the stairs.

"This will be fun." Shikamaru mumbled to himself.

* * *

Sakura ran in with a folder full of documents, her hand clashing against her shishou's table loudly. "Why didn't anyone go over her report a second time?" She yelled, shoving the files infront of her sensei angrily.

Tsunade opened the folder, then looked up at Sakura with a stern expression. "How could this be over looked?" Tsunade choked out, rereading the file over and over. "How could someone miss something this important?"

Sakura growled. "I don't know, but they need to be informed."

* * *

His obsidian eyes were skeptical as he looked down upon the village of Konoha, Village hidden in The Leaves. His hand resting firmly on his katana as he looked upon them with a smirk.

"Time to go home." He whispered, his smirk fading to one of emotionlessness.

Suddenly, he disappeared from the tree limb he had been standing on, swiftly running through the forest at lightning speed...

His foot falls were silent as he shifted through the dense forest, the thickness of the underbrush not bothering his well toned legs as he ran, cutting shrubs and bushes out of his way with his blade. He would arrive there in a matter of minutes, but he did not know what he would do when he got there. How would everyone react? How would he react? After all of this time of being chased, of being told he was going to be dragged back, he wondered if they would except him now. Now that he is willingly coming home. Now that he had decided his hunger for revenge had been quinched.

Would his village take him back willingly?

* * *

**What do you think?**

please review me...

I really want to know how I did.

I think i did fairly well.


	7. What Next?

**DONT SPEAK**

Chapter seven "What Next?"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shikamaru followed the guards through the winding staircase, his fingers folded tightly in between Ino's. He looked ahead with blank eyes counting each step he took. "302, 303, 304.." He mumbled, looking over at Ino to make sure she was doing alright.

His eyes widened as he looked at her pale face, sweat dripping from her brow as her hand laid gently against her stomach.

"Are you feeling sick, again?" He said, leaning his head towards her as they reached the last floor. Ino looked his way and shook her head, tightening her grip as they passed through a thick metal door.

The wind brushed gently against his cheeks as he looked out over the city. From the tower he could see his apartment, over by the Hospital tower that was close by. Although he had lived in Konoha his whole life, Shikamaru had never stopped to take in it's beauty, and as he looked out over the landscape, his eyes tracing over small buildings and shops he smiled. A persistent tugging on his hand brought him back to the real world as they continued their trek up the tower, wind practically blowing them off the higher they climbed the stairs.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ino leaned against Shikamaru's arm heavily, her legs growing even more tired as they reached another thick door and walked through.

Ino smiled as a rush of warm air heated her cheeks. She looked over at Shikamaru, whose face was glowing red from the bitter cold of the wind.

She felt her body relax slightly, the lump in her throat go down as they walked towards the Hokage's room. Ino's hand tightened around Shikamaru's, her fingers intertwining with his own automatically. "I don't want to do this," She thought, her fingers drawing circles over Shikamaru's knuckles over and over again as they neared the door. Her circles became more elaborate, more quickly as one of the guards walked up to the door and gave it a good rapping.

"Come in." Tsunade's voice rang from the other side.

Ino felt the bile rise up in her throat, a strange sensation surging through her stomach as they walked through the door way. Instinctively her hand covered her pounding stomach to ease the pain.

Ino tucked her head down, her eyes scanning the floor as the guards left the room, the clicking of the door behind her reminding her that it was dead quiet in the room. She felt Shikamaru turn his hand through hers, his fingers resting between her index and thumb.

" Nara and Ino." Tsunade greeted, her hands clasping together as she looked them both over. She took note of Ino's pale state, the way she shifted on her heels and how her fingers wrapped up into the side of her shirt. "How are things coming along then, Nara?" She asked, resting her nose on the top of her hands, her eyes peering over at them with interest.

"Fairly well, we have established communication as well as some interaction with other people." His eyes were trained on Tsunade's, watching every flickering movement as she scanned Ino.

"That's very good." She said, an unrecognizable tone flittering through her voice for a second. "And you Yamanaka, do you think it is going over well?"

Tsunade's eyes flickered over to the blond that stood not five feet from her desk, her eyes trained on her stomach, which was covered by a pale hand.

Ino felt circles being drawn on her knuckle and she nodded, her eyes peering up from the floor to look at the Hokage.

Tsunade relaxed a bit in her chair.

"So things are going fairly well, and Ino is happy with her situation?" Tsunade let her eyes linger on their intertwined hands. "You're sure that you like your arrangements, Yamanaka?"

Ino nodded on her own this time, her eyes peeking over at Shikamaru's firm stance, how he stood straight and his eyes were alert, but still looking very relaxed. She felt a smile tug on her lips, as he peered over at her with an eyebrow slightly raised.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Very well.." Tsunade sighed, bringing a folder out from her lap, her eyes turning soft and sympathetic. "_Well here comes the train wreck."_She thought, her hands brushing over the braille and her eyes scanning the words on the front. ' Yamanaka Ino' it read.

She opened the folder and her brows furrowed, knitting together as she formed her next words carefully.

"We seemed to have made an error when looking over your file, when you returned home, Yamanaka." She said, her eyes flickering up between the two nin that stood in front of her, she watched as Shikamaru changed his stance slightly, his back more straight, his head leaned slightly forward like he was straining to hear.

Tsunade let out a shallow, shaking breath. "The nurse who stamped your file, obviously did not look at the results before sending in her paper work, whether it was intentional or not it was a grave mistake and I am very sorry for this inconvenience..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at the paper, her vision trained on the next few words. "It appears that during the rape examination our nurse didn't read over her information correctly, and in a result no one knew that a your test results had come back positive." Tsunade let the words sink in for a moment, her eyes flickering up to look at their faces, both were straight, but they were not shocked in the least. "Don't you know what this means?" She said, her hands clenching the paper tightly.

Shikamaru's brown knitted together, and he seemed to be contemplating what she said when Tsunade took a deep breath.

"It means, Yamanaka Ino, that you are with child."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ino felt her heart stop as she looked at the Hokage in complete disbelief, the information settling in as Shikamaru's grip dwindled.

Ino gasped, her eyes trying to adjust as her eyes started to leak water, but the pain in her heart made it hard as she tried to focus. Ino clutched her self as she knelt down, cradling her own body.

_She was naked, striped to the flesh and blood coated most of her body, She had tears dripping from her eyes, Her face swollen from being beaten and hair also matted with blood and dirt from being kicked and beaten and raped hands were tied behind her, but separately, one tied to each of her thighs. The rope cut into her skin when she moved..._

How could she be pregnant with the horrible, disgusting filth's child.

_She felt the man's hand on her neck as he drugged her.._

Her heart sank, and for the first time in a month she thought about how she hadn't had her period, and all the moodswings.

Ino knelt down, her arms wrapped around her legs as she pulled herself in the chair behind her, tears streaming down her face.

She gasped again, the sobbing making her throat sore from the lack of use..

_burned her throat sending strange waves through her body as she felt herself go limp._

Shikamaru felt numb, his insides churning as he looked down at Ino, cradled against herself and weeping.

"Ino." He said, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around her tightly.

He felt her jerk within his grasp, his hands tightening on her arms as he tucked his head agianst her shoulders. "Ino it is alright-" He said, his voice halting as he tried to pour out loving and affectionate words, but they would not come. He knew that she was devastated, He knew that she would be reminded of the man who raped her everyday, every waking hour, and he knew that Ino wouldn't give the child up.

He brushed her hair from her face as he pulled her up, and into his arms.

"Ino you can always abort the child." Tsunade said, her presence finally being remembered as the two looked up at her.

Ino's face was contorted in horror, her hands gripping Shikamaru for support as she looked at Tsunade in disbelief. "Never.." She whispered, her voice raspy and sickly as she stood looking at The Hokage in disgust.

Shikamaru's blood boiled beneath his skin, and he felt the anger rise up in his throat as he tried to push the thoughts of that man hurting Ino back inside, but all he could think about was the way that man must have sneered at her, touched her- "_Did Ino just speak?"_He thought, looking over at Ino with a bewildered expression.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tsunade looked at the two of them with a confused expression. "Well, if that is what you chose then you will go forth with the pregnancy?" She said, her eyes full of worry and exhaustion.

Telling Ino had not been as bad as originally thought, she imagined a rage filled scene, Ino bawling and and becoming even more detached, but she was intirely mistaken.

Ino was slightly dramatic, but she suspected that any other kunoichi, with the exception of Tenten would react in a similar fashion. She felt a tug at her heart when she looked at the hurt expression on Ino's face, her fingers tightening into fists as she looked at the blond haired girl. "Then I guess we should start the preparations." She said, looking up at the speechless two that stood in front of her.

"Nara, I need to be alone with Yamanaka." She said, her voice stern and demanding as she stood from her desk.

She looked at him with fierce eyes, until she watched him reluctantly let go of Ino, and walk out into the hall.

* * *

"UGGGHH!!" He screamed with agitation, his fist pounding into the wall outside the Hokage room. "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? HOW COULD SHE GET PREGNANT!!" His anger bellowed out of him in giant waves until he was left with nothing but emptiness. He had to help her, that much was clear. If there was anything that he could help her with. He cringed at the thought of that man, that man having his way with his Ino...

Shikamaru struck the wall again, his anger flaring as his mind raced.

_"If I would have been there sooner.."_

"**SHUTUP YOU KNOW IT ISNT YOUR FAULT!"**

_"Oh great your back"_ He thought sarcastically, his fingers brushing through his hair as he tried to calm his nerves.

**"YES, I LIKE TO MAKE MY APPEARANCES WHEN YOU ARE ACTING LIKE A FOOL."** His inner self snapped.

_"Well I didn't ask for you to be here, so why don't you just leave?"_ He thought, looking at the faces that were peering over their desks at him, his body slackened into a lazy stance as he turned from the room of people, eyeing the dents in the wall with distaste.

**"NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A SPAZ, MAKE SURE YOUR ALONE FIRST.."**

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, finally acknowledging the pain that surged through his hand.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ino looked up at Tsunade with unsure eyes, cerulean ovals glazed with tears as she held a scroll in her arms.

"You will be fine Ino, you just need to come back in a few more weeks for another check up." She said, her voice staying soft and calm as she looked over the uneasy blond.  
"Your dismissed."

Ino walked to the door slowly, her mind in a daze as she reached for the door knob. _"Pregnant."_ She thought, looking at the door with watery eyes. "_It isn't fair_." She thought, looking down at her belly. "I can't love you."

--

Ino stepped out into the hall and watched as Shikamaru rested his forehead against it, noticing the two small holes as she walked by.  
Shikamaru raised his head to look at her with an weary expression, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"Don't worry Ino," He whispered in her ear. "I'll make sure everything is alright"  
Ino felt a faint smile tug at her lips, the feeling of sorrow lessening slightly..

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He looked up at the gates with a smirk, his eyes spotting the two guards that stood at the entrance.

"Hello." He started, his smile fading as the guards looked up and took a defensive stance.

Sasuke chuckled as he walked forward. "It seems I am lost, can you take me to the Hokage?" He asked, his voice lacking any emotion as the guards looked at each other in unease.

The guard on the right held his defensive stance as he walked towards Sasuke, who just stood still while the man looked him over.

"We will have to do a - "

-Smack-

Sasuke felt a throbbing sensation on the back of his neck as his vision started to go black, a small smirk on his face as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Just as planned...

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: I dont own naruto.

Sorry if this sucks, it's like 12:00 A.m.

god im tired...

leave me a review, im sorry that my writing skills are dwendling..


	8. Flowers?

**DON'T SPEAK**

Chapter eight

"flowers"

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"It's generally just a normal day for the two, I hope you enjoy.."

_

* * *

_

"Don't worry Ino," He whispered in her ear. "I'll make sure everything is alright"  
Ino felt a faint smile tug at her lips, the feeling of sorrow lessening slightly..

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ino's eyes seemed to glaze over as they walked from the tower, that lingered behind them like a shadow. Shikamaru at her side, she held his hand, one over her tummy as she looked out at the seemingly endless stretch of road before her.

"It's going to get hard." He said out of the blue, his head turning to her slightly as he spoke. His words came out gently, and Ino could only nod her head as he looked at her expectantly for an answer.

She turned her head back to the road, the loose rocks catching her eye as she walked along the path with him. The path was like her life, it had been trampled on and now it looked worse for the wear. Ino sighed, and let her fingers loosen their hold on his own.

She let go of his hand slowly and stood still in the middle of the road, her eyes trained on the moon above, her eyes glistening as she watched the stars twinkle.

Shikamaru stopped, turning to look back and see why she had stopped. "Ino." He said, holding his hand out, his face slipping into that of one who is weary. "We can look at the stars when we get home."

Her eyes parted from the sky slowly, her vision setting on the man before her and she just nodded.

She walked forwards, pressing her hand into his and looked away. "Come on." He said, his voice quiet and tired as he pulled her towards the apartment complex.

* * *

Shikamaru opened the door slowly, his hands numb as he touched the frosted knob. "Damn weather." He said quietly, pulling Ino in and closing the door behind him.

He watched her stand, looking around his kitchen as she rubbed her stomach.

She walked then, slowly towards his room, and slipped through the door. Shikamaru sighed, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and following her into the bedroom. "Are you ready for bed?" He asked, placing his left hand on the door as he strained to listen for a response. He heard nothing, so he waited a minute or two before he opened the door.

"Knock knock." He said, leaning his back against the door as he looked at her, sitting on his bed in the corner, one of his shirts on. It was rolled up and she was looking at her flat stomach with clouded eyes.

"Hey.." He half whispered, his voice failing to come out as strong as he had hoped it would, as he had tried.

Her golden hair slipped into her face, and Shikamaru almost smiled as she half blushed, her eyes downcast. " Are you embarrassed?" He chuckled, walking to the closet and slipping his shoes off, for he had forgotten to at the door. "We have seen each other in less." He shook his head, and pulled his shirt off, then pulled a wife beater over his head, giving his pants a good shake off as he walked into his closet to find a suitable pair of sleeping pants. "It's cold, do you want some pants with that shirt?" He said, his head popping out from the closet door with an eyebrow raised, cigarette hanging from his lip.

Ino smiled slightly, and shook her head 'no'. Shikamaru nodded, walking back into the closet and grabbing an extra walked to the bed and unfolded the quilt, shaking it out then letting it fall gently onto the bed, over Ino. She peeked out from the bottom as she crawled over on the bed, the top of her blond head the only thing that was uncovered.

"Yeah, you better move, you troublesome woman." He grunted, letting himself fall onto the bed with a huff.

He slid under the covers, pulling the blanket back up over his chest as he stared at the ceiling, one hand resting behind his head, and the other wrapped around his pillow tightly.

He let his eyes drift half way closed, his toes curling into the blanket as he tried to count all the dents in his textured ceiling.

He felt her arms slip around him, and her breath caressed his neck softly, as she pushed her nose against him.

"What are you doing?" He said tiredly, his arm slipping out from behind the pillow and wrapping around her shoulders. He felt her shrug and he rolled his eyes, pulling her closer. "Are you worried?" He asked, his voice quiet as he looked down at her golden hair,which was tickling the end of his nose.

She shrugged again, and he felt the hot tears rundown his neck. "I-I'm...never mind." He sighed, watching as she shifted closer, her small gasps and sobs becoming louder.

"Shh.." He said through barely parted lips, his hand stroking the middle of her back softly. "Hush, go to sleep." He whispered.

Ino sucked in a deep breath and held it, her body still jerking with silent sobs.

* * *

Ino gripped his shirt, her hands sliding underneath him as she curled up closer, her leg draping over his as she pressed her face closer to his neck. She could feel the strange sensation in her abdomen, the strange chakra, the unsettling presence from within. Her tears flowed out silently, as she tried to stay quiet for him so that he wouldn't worry.

She felt his hands tighten on her shoulder and mid-back, and she opened her mouth to suck in a breath of fresh air.

She felt strange in his clothes, but if she wore her own, she could smell that sick and demented man, Hiro, on her skin, in her hair, and Shikamaru was her only escape. And so she pressed her nose against his skin and took in his smell;

Freshly cut cedar with a hint of wet pine, a newly lit fire with the scent of cigarettes lingering in his hair and clothes. She rubbed her nose against his skin, the tears still falling as she held tighter.

"Your still crying." He said, his voice deep from tiredness, his eyes drooping slightly as he tried to hold them open. Ino shook her head and released her hold on him, pulling herself to the other side of the bed.

* * *

Shikamaru's face twisted up slightly as her body heat left him, his eyes opening immediately as the bed shifted. "I didn't want you to go away, I just don't want you to cry.." He sighed as he turned to her. "I'm here for you, Ino." He said, his hand reaching out to stroke her back gently. She flinched under his touch, and his hand retracted slightly. "Alright." He whispered, laying his head down on his arm and closing his eyes slowly. "Goodnight."

--

Shikamaru's eyes fluttered open and he draped his hand over them to block out the suns first rays, that happened to strike him right in the eyes.

He closed his eyes and let his head fall to the side, then opened them slowly and stared into crystalline ovals. "Your up early." He whispered, their noses touching as he yawned.

He stretched his arms above his head as he groggily rolled off of the bed and dragged himself to the bathroom to wash up.

He looked in the mirror and grunted, examining the stubble that had started to curl down his chin. "I look like my father.." He said, his hand reaching up to brush his fingers against the bristly hairs. He held back a scoff as he examined himself. "Spitting image." His lips curled into a slight snarl as he opened the cabinets and found that he had recently used the last razor until it was dulled. He looked back towards his room with a glint in his eye, then headed towards his pack.

He felt her eyes on him as he knelt at the end of the bed and pulled a kunai out. He looked up at her as he crossed the room, watching her rise up from the bed to follow.

"I'm shaving." He said, as she peeked into the bathroom with a look of mild curiosity.

Just as he was about to bring the knife to his chin she reached out, and he pulled it back as he looked at her. Ino shook her head and grabbed the kunai from him, twirling it between her fingers as she stepped up to him, then opened the cupboard. "Shaving cream is on the bottom right." He said, looking at her as her eyebrows furrowed.

She turned towards him with a glob of rich green, her eyebrow raised and her eyes squinted as she started to rub the gel onto his cheeks. She lathered it thoroughly, then brought the knife to his jawline, and shaved upwards, in the opposite direction the hairs were starting to grow.

Shikamaru kept his face still, not really all that fearful of her cutting him since she was his partner, and a kunoichi. He let his eyes rest upon her face as she tilted his head upwards, the cold edge of the knife sliding across the tender flesh of his throat.

He watched as her hand turned the knob and rinsed the kunai off in the sink, then as it pressed against the other side of his neck. He saw the edges of her mouth twitch as she pulled back from her handy work and then she brushed her fingertips over his smooth cheeks and a timid smile spread across her lips.

Shikamaru turned and looked in the mirror, and his eyes narrowed as he lifted his chin to inspect his shave. "You left the goatee." He mumbled, peering at her from the corner of his eye.

She nodded her head then dabbed a damp towel at his neck and cheeks, her other hand twisting the growth on his chin between her index and thumb.

"You like it?" He asked, his eyebrow raised as he inspected himself more thoroughly. "He would die laughing you know." He said, looking over at her as he grabbed his toothbrush and dipped it into the running water under the faucet.

* * *

Ino curled her toes up into the shaggy carpet, her eyes squinted as she brought the toothbrush out of her mouth and inspected her teeth thoroughly. "good enough." She thought, rubbing her finger over them and listening to the squeak. She felt a frown tug at her lips as she placed the toothbrush back in it's holder and walked out on to the cold tile floor. A shiver went up her spine as she looked out the door and saw Shikamaru perched on the railing of the balcony, a cigarette in his mouth as he tilted his head up to look at the clear blue sky. Ino noticed the frost on the table as she walked closer, Shikamaru's eyes falling over to her as she grew closer.

"It's cold, don't come outside barefoot." He said, curling his long toes back as he rested them against the railing. Ino's eyebrows raised, but she said nothing (as usual), her hand automatically resting on her stomach. She walked out on to the balcony and shivered, rubbing her arms as she walked to the railing and looked out over the grass.

"The flowers will start to die soon..I was thinking maybe we could go to the store and..buy some to put around the house?" He said thoughtfully, looking off to the side as he spoke. "I thought you might like something a little more of your element in the house, you know?" He sighed, leaning his head back as he blew a ring of smoke up into the air then stood.

"I told you not to come out here because it was cold." He mumbled, walking past her through the sliding door.

Ino walked after him, her hands reaching out to grab his, she held his palm up and drew the words in his hand. "Can we go now?" She wrote, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

Shikamaru shrugged and walked towards his room. "Get your shoes on."

* * *

Shikamaru walked slowly, his hand gripping Ino's firmly as they walked down the stairs of the apartment complex. Ino was excited, although she didn't show it externally. Shikamaru smiled at himself. "I'm glad this will make her happy." He thought, his hand squeezing her own as they turned and headed for the main road.

They walked at a slow pace, often stopping and just looking about at the weather.

Ino huddled closer to him as they entered town, her hand subconsciously laying over her stomach protectively. Shikamaru looked down at her hand, and he felt jealous for a moment, jealous that that baby was going to be the one who Ino- Shikamaru shook his head and pulled her closer as they entered the more popular, and more crowded shopping district.

His grip did not lessen as he pushed through the crowds of people, Ino pressed closely against his back.

He walked into a more open area and looked at her with a slight smile, nodding his head in the direction of the flower shop.

* * *

They walked side by side as they slipped into the warmly lit flower shop, the familiar scent of pollen drifting up into Ino's nose.

She let go of his hand slowly, and walked towards the rows of flowers with interest, her eyes glowing as she spotted the perfect ones.

"Poinsettias." A man's voice rang from in front of her, and she looked up and met cerulean eyes. "Hello, sweetie." Inoichi said, leaning forward and embracing his daughter in a tight hug.

Shikamaru turned, and his eyes softened slightly as he walked over and leaned against the counter.

As Inoichi pulled back he looked Shikamaru in the eyes, his eyes squinting as he glared at him then turned to a smile when Ino looked his way. "Nara-boy." He said, bowing his head slightly.

Ino smiled at her father, and embraced him again. "Is he treating you right?" Her father asked, his arms tightening around her.

Ino shook her head against his chest and stepped back, eyeing the flowers with longing eyes.

"The red ones?" Shikamaru said, pulling his wallet out.

Ino looked at him and smiled, and Shikamaru's face softened slightly. "Is that all you wanted?"

Ino took a quick glance around and spotted the rare and far between white poinsettia. She walked over to it and brought back another pot, with a slight smile.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and pulled his wallet open. "How much is it?" He asked Inoichi, his eye remaining on his wallet.

"It's on the house, but only because it is for my baby." He flashed a smile to his daughter, then leaned forward on the counter. "But she has to come see me, very soon." He said, looking over at Shikamaru expectantly.

Shikamaru bowed his head, then looked over at Ino as he took the flowers into his arms. "What would you like for breakfast?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her as she waved to her father, who said goodbye a million times.

Ino shrugged her shoulders as she walked out the door.

"What if I cook while you put those around the house?" He asked, gesturing towards the flowers as he spoke. Ino nodded her head, and slipped her arm around and hooked it with his elbow.

"Good." He said, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

**

* * *

**

Flashback:

_Sasuke smirked as his eyes closed. _

**end of flash.**

* * *

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open as the scent of flowers roused his senses. He looked up from his chair, his eyelids heavy as he tried to keep them from closing.

"Well, nice to see you awake, Uchiha." A voice said, as it reached up and grabbed him by the sides of his face and held his head straight.

Sasuke's eyes fluttered up to the ceiling, were blinding florescent lights fogged and blurred his vision.

"You can start the interrogation now." One said irritably from the corner. Sasuke tried to let his head bob in that general direction, but was prevented from doing so as a hand cupped the back of his neck.

"Sasuke Uchiha," A familiar voice said, the tone so melodic that he was almost lost to the words.

"Hn?" He grunted, his vision focusing on a rosette haired woman that sat before him, he blinked a few times before his eyes started to adjust.

"_Sakura.."_ He thought, looking at her with groggy eyes.

* * *

Ino sat at the coffee table with a pair of scissors in her hand, and a flower in the other.

Shikamaru looked at her from the window of the bar in the kitchen. He smirked at her, watching her tongue stick out of her mouth as she leaned forward with squinting eyes. _"Concentrating hard are we?"_ He thought, returning his attention to the pan full of sizzling eggs.

Ino placed the poinsettias around the house and smiled at her craftsmanship.

She sat the newest edition of the white and red blooms on the coffee table and stood up, examining her arrangement.

"Foods ready." He said, walking in and placing the eggs on the table.

As Ino sat down on the couch, feet folded underneath her legs, sitting Indian style as she crammed the eggs down her throat, Shikamaru watched her with an amused expression.

"I was thinking," He said, watching Ino's eyes wander up with a hint of sarcasm as she arched an eyebrow. "that maybe it was about time we advanced our communication..what do you say to sign language?"

Ino looked at him for a long moment then shook her head up and down.

"Good." Shikamaru said, feeling the corners of his lips turn up into a soft smile.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own naruto

Drop by and review, its good for my self esteem. lol.


	9. Feather Like Kisses

**DON'T SPEAK**

Chapter nine

"Signs"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

" Look, Just move your hands like this.."

_

* * *

_

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shikamaru grabbed her wrist and turned it over, his fingers sliding over her palm. "Instead of spelling out the word I'm going to sign it on your palm, It is much more affective this way." He said, looking at her sternly. "This means. W-a-t-e-r." He said, moving his hand slowly. He looked up at her to see that her eyebrows were knitted together and that her eyes were squinted.

"You try." He said, turning his hand over.

Ino's hand rose shakily to his own, and she placed her hand in his, turning her hands over in his palms as she formed the signs for water.

Shikamaru smiled and squeezed her hand tightly. "Very good, now let's move on to other words..What do you need to know?" He said, tapping his fingers against her palm as he closed his eyes, trying to form the words in his mind. "Flower." He said, placing his fingers, his thumb and index bent together and his other three fingers laying out on her palm. "F"

He bent his other three fingers, then placed his index and thumb pressed flat against her palm."L"

His fingers formed a circle and he smiled as her face lit up. "O"

His index,middle and ring fingers flat on her palm. "W"

"E" He said, curling his fingers and thumbs in his palm and pressing them to her own.

"And finally R" He crossed his index and middle and placed it in her palm, then held his own out.

"Now try it on me."

* * *

Ino pulled her hand back from his and pouted.

"Ino your doing good, It's just a sentence." Shikamaru said, grabbing her hand and placing it back on his. "Look, Just move your hands like this." He said, turning his fingers quickly in her palm.

Ino glared at him and pulled her hand back.

"Why are you being difficult? I am taking the time to teach you, why don't you take the time to try and learn?" He growled, slamming his hand against the table.

Ino looked up at him and rolled her eyes, standing up and walking away.

"Where do you think your going?" He said, pushing himself off of the floor and following her out on the balcony.

Ino looked over at him and then turned her head back out to the grass, where she watched the wind gust against the weeds, causing it to make tiny water like waves. She smiled, and pressed her face against her arms as she leaned against the railing.

The cold winter air bit her toes fiercely as she stood barefoot infront of him, her arms crossed and her head perched against them. The frost licked at her nose and she tucked it against the sleeves of Shikamaru's jacket, her eyes lolling closed as she took a wiff of his scent.

"It's cold." He said from behind her, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

Ino looked back at him and shrugged, placing her hand by her shoulder and signing a _"Whatever."_

Shikamaru let out a chuckle and walked up behind her, his hand encasing her own as he leaned against the railing beside her. "Don't give me an attitude."

Ino rolled her eyes and pulled away from him, her head turning slightly as she looked back at him expectantly. "_Can we go somewhere today_?" She signed, looking out over the trees and at the sun that had settled slightly above the tree tops.

"where do you want to go?" He said, raising an eyebrow as he drew closer.

"_I want to go see him_."

--

Ino's hand tightened as they came closer to the small stone, she looked over at Shikamaru uneasily.

"Are you sure?" He said, his voice so distant that Ino wasn't quite sure he was actually speaking to her.

She nodded, and they continued to walk until they were upon his grave. Ino felt her legs go weak, and she collapsed in front of it, her hands resting on the hard, cold stone so that she would not fall to the ground. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to think of something to say to him, but only one thing came to mind.

And then her restraint broke. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you." Ino shook with soundless sobs, her eyes pouring out her frustration as she clutched the stone tightly in her hands.

* * *

Shikamaru had not heard her speak, maybe because her voice was so quiet, or maybe because he was lost in thought.

But he did look down when he heard her cry out something similar to Chouji, and immediately his eyes began to feel hot and scratchy, and tears flowed down from them freely as he stood, hands folded behind his back.

He bent down and pried her hands away from the stone, and folded her up in his arms, and carried her away.

_"This isn't good for her."_ He thought, looking down at her red, puffy eyes as she wept against his chest. _"I shouldn't have brought her here."_

* * *

Ino gripped his fishnet shirt between her fingers, pulling herself closer to his chest as he walked away.

She wanted to tell him no, to bring her back. She wanted to talk to Chouji, to be able to laugh at him again, laugh with him and be able to taste his cooking. She wanted to feel his strong embrace.

Ino nuzzled her nose in the space between his shoulder and his neck and took a few calming breaths, her hands encircling his back as he continued to carry her away.

She pressed her mouth against his shoulder, and looked up at him with glossy eyes, the tears sticking to her eyelashes like dew drops, and that is when she noticed he was crying too.

Ino immediately shifted in his arms, making him put her down although he was reluctant.

She brought her hand up from around his neck and signed to him. "_I'm sorry_."

He just shook his head no and looked away from her face, his arms encircling her again and holding her closer. She merely just melted in his arms, like jelly she leaned against him and smiled sadly, her nose returning to the junction in between his shoulder and neck. She kissed it very lightly, her hand drawing soothing circles on his shoulder blade as she held him.

Shikamaru stopped crying, but he was still breathing strangely as she pulled back, her thumbs wiping away his silent tears as she smiled sadly at him, he smiled back down at her.

"Let's go home." He mumbled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to his body.

Ino nodded in agreement.

* * *

As they shuffled through the slender wood frame, Shikamaru's arm still draped over her shoulder, he looked down at her with soft eyes.

"_I can't believe she kissed me_," He thought, his other un-occupied hand reaching up and fingering the patch of skin on his neck, the skin was warm there.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Drop by and review, its good for my self esteem. lol.


	10. Awkaward touches

**DON'T SPEAK**

Chapter Ten

"Accident"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Dreams.."

_

* * *

_

As they shuffled through the slender wood frame, Shikamaru's arm still draped over her shoulder, he looked down at her with soft eyes.

"_I can't believe she kissed me_," He thought, his other un-occupied hand reaching up and fingering the patch of skin on his neck, the skin was warm there.

* * *

Shikamaru pulled his arm from around her shoulders as they stepped into the apartment. A wave of heat rushing up to their blushing, frost bitten cheeks as they pulled off their coats and toed off their shoes.

He watched as Ino slid her small feet into her fuzzy purple slippers, the way her fingers gripped the collar of her shirt as she pulled her arm through the holes, and held her body.  
He smiled, his own feet remaining bare as he made his way over the hardwood floor. His fingers wrapping around the hem of his shirt as he pulled it over his head, and threw it onto his floor.

He pulled the crisp, white, four hundred thread count sheets back, his hands running over the surface of the bed to smooth out the wrinkles, before he sat down, his fingers expertly gripping the tie in his hair and pulling it free. His hair cascaded down onto his shoulders, a whisper against his skin causing him to shudder, before he laid his back down, his head sinking into the pillow.

He stared at the ceiling, counting the dents in his textured paint.

--

Not too long after he had laid down, Shikamaru felt the other side of the bed shift in the darkness. The sound of a soft sigh fluttered through his ears as Ino pulled the covers over her legs. Then she reached out, her fingers skimming over the skin of his arm causing chills to run up his spine, and the hairs on his arms to stand tall.

_"Shikamaru?"_ She signed against the skin of his arm.

A small smile flickered over his lips as he let his head slowly turn towards her, his eyes squinting as he blinked, trying to see her in the pitch black darkness of the night. "Yes, Ino?"

Her hand stiffened slightly.  
She must have thought he was asleep.

He almost chuckled.

Her fingers began to move over his skin again, more lightly than before, like she was unsure about something. _"Will you...hold me?"_

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, and although she could not see him, she recoiled slightly after not receiving an answer for several minutes.  
He slowly unfolded his arms, his fingers pulling on the fabric of her fishnet shirt, he pulled her against his chest, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Yes."

He heard her sigh, and he allowed himself to exhale the breath he had not known he was holding, as she shifted in his arms, wrapping a pale hand over his fingers and clutching them tightly.

"Go to sleep, Ino." He breathed out, his lips brushing against her ear unintentionally as he lolled off into slumber.

--

Shikamaru awoke to cold fingers gliding over his eyelids, down his cheeks bones, and softly like a feather, across his lips. He struggled to keep from reacting, but could not control the way his head seemed to lean forward on it's own accord, to fall into her cold yet soothing touch. He allowed his eyes to flutter slightly, to fiegn slight consciousness, but this did not deter Ino, but made her bolder.

He felt her other hand leave his own, the feeling of cool air hitting his warm, sweating palm was uncomfortable. He wanted to snatch her hand back, but thought better of it.

"_What will she do if I don't stop her_?" He thought to himself as he shifted slightly, his head falling down to her upper arm as she stroked his hair.

He hoped this was not a dream, that he would not wake up and Ino would not stop skimming her fingers over his scalp, twisting his hair and curling it around her finger.

He turned his head on her arm, his body practically melting onto her own as he pressed his nose against her soft skin. She smelt so wonderful, heavenly, like raspberries and that crisp smell of morning dew. He nuzzled in closer, against his own free will mind you, and his arms wrapped around her automatically, causing her to flinch slightly.

So she hadn't known that he was awake.

He was sure she had, that she could sense his chakra flaring every time her skin met his, every time her breath whispered against his skin in soft sighs, the way she smiled against his hair. He was sure she had known, but by the way she was acting- Shikamaru groaned quietly, inhaling sharply like he had just awoken, but he did not move. He stayed perfectly still, his nose still pressed lightly against her skin, before he relaxed in her touch, and opened his mouth.

"What are you doing to me, Ino?" He asked, his voice deep and husky with tiredness.

He felt her shrug beneath him, but he could hear her heartbeat quicken as he shifted in her arms. Then her fingers were on his shoulder and she signed something quickly, before removing her hand again. _"I don't know."_

Her hands were shaking terribly, her fingers digging into his flesh as she gripped his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" He asked, leaning closer so that he could see her face in the pale moonlight.

_"Nothing."_ She signed, her hands falling from his shoulders as she turned over onto her back, and let her head fall to the other side.

* * *

Ino closed her eyes tightly, biting her lips as she felt the stinging of tears rise from her chest and into her throat.

She brought her hand up to his arm and placed her fingers rapidly over his skin. _"Do you hate me, Shikamaru?"_

She felt him stiffen under her touch, his muscles becoming rigid as he sat up, leaning on his left shoulder. "Why would you ever ask me that, Ino?" He said, his voice still deep and husky, but laced with worry and confusion.

She shrugged, not really knowing the answer to that question herself.

She pulled the sheets over her chilled arms, slanting her eyes so that everything was only visible under the dark, ebony lashes. She blinked back a few tears, curious as to why she was crying now. She wasn't sad or..at least she didn't think she was sad.

"What's the matter?" Shikamaru's concerned voice resounded through her senses, making her eyes open slightly wider.

She didn't really know the answer to that either. Ino pulled her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees in an attempt to shut out the world, but Shikamaru was still there, looking down at her with soft eyes, as she looked up at him with curious ones.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Drop by and review, its good for my self esteem. lol


	11. Horror(emergency edited)

**_I know it's been a really long time guys. I'm sorry. I just didnt feel inspired to write until now:)._**

* * *

Don't speak

Chapter 11

* * *

Recap:

She_ didn't really know the answer to that pulled her legs up to her chest,and wrapped her arms around her knees in an attempt to shut out the world, but shikamaru was still there, looking down at her with soft eyes, while she looked up at him with big curious ones._

* * *

Shikamaru looked at her with soft eyes and slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"let's just go to sleep okay?" he whispered.

Ino turned towards him and cuddled closer to his warm body, her eyes feeling heavy suddenly.

Shikamaru woke to the unmistakable sound of Ino puking. He didn't know what time it was but it must be pretty darn early in the morning because it was still dark outside. In one fluid motion he was suddenly out of bed and at Ino's side, holding her hair back and stroking her softly. For some reason it didn't seem to matter that puke was somehow splattered on his hands as he looked at her swollen red eyes that were dripping with tears. Slowly, he stood and retrieved a wash cloth from the shelf above the toilet, wet it and wiped her forehead, then her mouth.

"Feel better now Ino?" He inquired softly.

She simply shook her head 'yes' and leaned against him.

Shikamaru sighed and looked around the bathroom, then looked at her with tired eyes,

"Are you ready to go back to bed?" He asked, extending his arms toward her, inviting her to be lifted up.

* * *

Ino nodded her head and leaned against him as he lifted her into his arms.

But as he did so she felt an incredible pain in her stomach, and a feeling of warmth spread through the underwear she was wearing.

With a startled yell Shikamaru almost dropped her as the blood gushed from between her legs.

Ino screamed in terror and clutched her stomach. **What's going on?** She thought, her mind rushing to every conclusion but the obvious.

Without any delay or discussion Shikamaru ran out of the apartment with ino in his arms, barefoot in the snow.

* * *

Shikamaru ran as fast as he possibly could. Buildings, trees, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion although all of it was blurring around him. He wasn't for sure about what was going on but he had a pretty good idea what was happening and he thought it might be a miscarriage.

Within minutes shikamaru was running into the hospital screaming for Sakura, or anyone who could help her..to stop whatever was happening...to make Ino okay again.

Sakura and another nurse came running and snatched Ino from his arms. Ino reached for him, tears of confusion and panic clouding her eyes.

They were gone in a flash...around the corner and through a set of doors that he wasn't allowed to go through.

"how could this happen?" he thought aloud.

She was fine earlier, there was no warning, and she hadn't even been holding her stomach or anything.

Shikamaru slammed himself down into a chair in the waiting room, ignoring the alarmed glances from the nurse at the counter.

He was scared. Scared out of his mind...scared that something might happen to Ino, what if she was hurt..what if she was losing the baby...the baby...a small part of him wanted her to lose the baby...lose the baby so she wouldn't have to suffer, so the child wouldn't suffer...because Ino couldn't stand to have that filthy bastards' child inside of her, or out. Because...that child wouldn't be his-

"no, that's not right and I know it." he whispered to himself, feeling ashamed that he had even thought it at all...

* * *

Ino grasped her stomach with her hands as an immense pain shot through her stomach.

_"Whats happening to me?" _she thought as another wave of pain surged through her, this time less violent than the first.

Sakura stood over her, busily barking orders at the other nurse and simultaneously cooing soothing words to Ino. But Ino couldn't hear a thing she said, and slowly like a light fading in the distance, her vision turned black on the edges, until she was unconscious.

* * *

Shikamaru's whole body was shaking,and his stomach was doing flip flops. It had been almost two hours since they took her back and no word. He stood up shakily and walked to the counter, where the same nurse from before was sitting trying to avoid his gaze.

"ye-s-s sssir?" she finally choked out, sweat beading on her brow.

"Please...have you heard any news?"

She looked around in a panicked sort of way, then slowly back at him, her brown eyes wide. "no sirrrr...I-I'm afraid I haven't.."

"oh," is all he could say before Sakura came through those doors, rubbing her face with a weary expression.

"We stopped the bleeding shikamaru, but she isn't doing so well...I thought I'd come and give you an update myself.."

Shikamaru stared at Sakura with a blank expression, one of total disbelief.

"she was fine...we went to bed just like normal,,"

She cut him off with a nod of her head.

"Sometimes these things just happen, and there's no way of knowing.." she paused, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing quietly. " It's too soon to know about the baby...or anything really, but we have her in stable condition so the best advice I can give you is to get some sleep." she looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

"I can't tell you to go home, so you're welcome to sleep here in the waiting room, but I can't allow you in her room..she needs rest."

Shikamaru nodded his head, his eyes clouded over in a dazed expression.

"alright." he said weakly, sinking into a chair and drifting off into a fitful slumber...

* * *

**tell me what you think:). Sorry if it's lame :/.**


	12. It's Gunna be ok

Au: I'm Gunna try to make this one longer. It's been a long time since I have written and I am a bit rusty. It might take me a while to get back in the swing of things and I apologize.

* * *

The first thing Ino noticed when she woke up was; 1. Her vision was really blurry, and 2. Her stomach felt strange. As she sat up, her arms shaking with the strain to support her body, she looked around the quiet, cold hospital room and realized she was alone. Where was Shikamaru? She slowly pulled the covers off of her legs and slung them over the side of the bed, her toes pressing against the cold tiles. As her feet touched the ground she recoiled immediately, causing a searing pain to shoot up her midsection. Ino placed a hand on her stomach and concentrated as hard as she could, but she could feel no chakra signal from within her.

Ino looked at her stomach with a blank expression. Her eyes tearing up for reasons unknown to her. Why couldn't she feel the presence of the baby within her? She had felt it ever since the day lady hokage first informed her of it's existence..unless..the baby was no longer there..

With a sudden burst of realization Ino began to cry, an unrelenting sob that wrenched from her body with such force she felt like she was being turned inside out. She couldn't understand it...why did she feel this way? She didn't even want the baby..so why was she crying? Why did she feel like she had lost more now...than what she had months ago? As she sobbed she curled into her covers, her fingers turning white as she twisted the covers hard in her hands, as if she could wring her tears out of her body..and make all her pain go away.

* * *

Shikamaru woke up with a jolt, looking up at Sakura as she gently nudged his arm.

"Ino is in ..stable condition now," she said, looking down at her feet with a grim expression. "But there is something you should know.." she whispered...almost too quiet for Shikamaru to hear.

"She lost the baby Shikamaru." she looked at him with an unsure expression.

Shikamaru felt an immense pressure lift from his shoulders, and relief flooded through his body like a tidal wave, until Sakura looked up at him with pained eyes..

" I dont know if this is a good or bad thing though Shikamaru...I thought it was good..until we had to restrain Ino to get her to calm down." her face paled as she looked off in the distance. "she was in complete hysterics when she woke up."

Shikamaru stared at Sakura for what seemed like hours. He couldn't think of anything to say...he couldn't think of anything at all. He was relieved because the baby was no longer there...and Ino wouldn't have to worry about check ups and planning the birth and figuring out what to do with the child afterwards...but at the same time he felt a loss. A surprising loss. What could this child have looked like? Would it have been a boy or a girl? As he stared at Sakura he felt a strange emotion swell up in his breast, but he couldn't quite identify it. Would he have loved the child, did he already? Shikamaru wasn't one to give his emotions to just anyone, and it wasn't easy to earn his trust, but if he didn't feel something for that child, why were tears falling down his face? It wasn't his! Why should he feel anything?

His fists clenched tightly by his sides as he wept. He made no noise and at first Sakura didn't notice,but he watched as she enveloped him in a hug, and said in a soft voice, "It's okay to cry Shikamaru ...today a child was lost...and it doesnt matter why the child was created...or how..." her voice cut off as she let go of him, taking a few steps back. "you can go see her whenever you are ready," she watched as he took a few steps forward. "but...Shikamaru?"

He stopped midstride and looked at her, her jade ovals sparkling with tears.

"Dont go in there like this, she needs you to be strong.."

* * *

Ino looked up as the handle on the door turned. She watched as Shikamaru came in, his eyes down cast and his hands in his pockets.

"hey." he said, looking at her with soft, glassy eyes.

Her stomach tightened and she looked down at the sheets. Shikamaru sat in the chair beside the bed.

"how are you feeling?" he said, looking at her with tender eyes. He reached out slowly, leaning forward onto the hospital bed, and grabbed her hand. He pressed her fingers to his lips.

Ino couldn't move, she couldn't sign the words onto his hands...she couldn't tell him how she was feeling, because she really had no idea? She watched as he squeezed her fingers, and she felt hot tears rolling down her face. A loud sob freed it's self from her throat, which sounded like a toad. She sniffed and wiped her running nose with her other hand, but couldn't make herself stop the tears from falling.

She lifted her head as his arms enveloped her in a warm embrace,and she cried into his shoulder. She cried for her life, for her body, and for her dead child.

* * *

Shikamaru barried his face into her goldent locks, his eyes becoming moist as he squeezed her tightly to his chest.

"let it out Ino." he whispered softly, stroking her hair and her back as she clutched him tightly.

He felt her sign the words onto his back and swallowing the lump in his throat, he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"I'm just as unsure as you as to how I would have felt if you know..the baby had came to term, but what I do know for sure Ino...is that whatever you decided...I'd be on your side 100%."

He held her as she cried then, and he kissed the top of her head. He felt her hands sign on his back again.

**I don't know why I feel this way..I don't think I even wanted that baby...to be a reminder...everyday..**

"it's okay to cry...and it's okay to be confused Ino," he pulled back and looked into her eyes. Her beautiful eyes that shined like sapphires.

* * *

Ino woke up with her face burrowed in the crook of shikamaru's arm. They were both cuddled up on her tiny hospital bed. She lifted her head and looked at him, noting how is chest rose and fell slowly. He was still asleep. She laid her head on his chest and looked up at his face. There was stubble protruding from his chin. Witha shaking hand she hesitantly brought her fingers down upon his beard, touch softly as to not wake him up. She traced his beard and his little mustache, then traced his lips.

She pulled her hand back and closed her eyes as he shifted, his eyes parting slightly as he awoke.

He looked down at her with a slight smile. she tried to smile back, but her lips just wouldn't turn upwards. There was a knot in her chest, and hollow spot where something once resided, and it tugged at her heart, and her mouth, and her whole body.

* * *

Sakura walked into Ino's room and was shocked to see Shikamaru laying in bed with her. She wasn't shocked because she thought anything inappropriate was going on, but just for the sheer fact that it was happening at all. She didn't think that it was normal behavior for Shikamaru, but he had been surprising her a lot lately when it came to his relationship with Ino.

She cleared her throat as she walked forward, noticing she had been staring for quite a while. She felt a slight blush creep up on her cheeks.

"Shikamaru if you could please give us a minute, I have to do a quick check with Ino."

Shikamaru nodded his head silently, squeezing Inos hand as he got up. He looked back at her as ge walked out the door. His expression said it all:"_I'm right here."_

Sakura smiled softly at Ino asthe door closed with a soft click.

"ok Ino, let's give you a quick check...then if you're ready, I'll see about getting you home."


	13. Break through

**I want to thank all the reviewers who are patiently waiting for me to update and for anyone who continues reading this long and drawn out fanfic of mine. Thank you very much. This isn't the end though.**

**-Kiki.**

* * *

It was a week later to the day that Ino was finally released. She held on to Shikamaru as he led her away from the hospital. She really didn't notice where it was that they were going, until their feet left the dirt path and they were walking up a grassy hill. Shikamaru sat in the grass and pulled her down next to him. She stared out into empty space.

Shikamaru shifted by her side, his hand squeezing hers.

"I can't pretend to even have the slightest idea of how you feel," He looked up at the clouds,"But I am here Ino and you can tell me anything."

She looked over at him and shook her head. She didn't want to talk or..sign..or whatever. She just wanted to sit there quietly. She watched him watching her with that permanent worried expression he always seemed to be making. She looked down at the grass, and started to pull the long blades out one by one.

* * *

Shikamaru watched as she plucked at the blades. Worry knotting up in his chest and constricting his throat like a serpent. He just wanted her to talk. More than anything he just wanted to hear her loud, troublesome voice. He closed his eyes and leaned back, letting go of her hand gently. She didn't look his way and he felt a strange feeling in his gut. He didn't want her to be upset but he didn't know what could make it better.

It seemed as though the very thought of their skin connecting disgusted her, but all he wanted to do right now was hold her. It felt so foreign...this whole situation. How could any of this even be happening? He sighed and leaned back against the big oak tree. He felt bile rising in his throat and he resisted the urge to throw up. He hated to throw up, but it was ironic that his fear and worries always brought a stomachache. He tended to dwell on things and he hated himself for that.

He looked over at her and noticed the tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

Immediately his arms were around her. "shhh." He cooed into her ear, pulling her hair back with his hand and wiping the tears rolling down her face.

Her crying turned into sobbing, hysterical, hiccuping, loud sobbing that clawed at his insides and pulled at his heart strings.

"I know," He whispered. "let it out."

By the time the sun had set she had stopped crying and had started to fall asleep. Shikamaru put his arm around her back and the other under her knees and effortlessly lifted her up. As he walked to the house he looked down at her face, it was dirty and there were tear stains running down her face. He sighed. He would run a bath for her when he got to the apartment.

He felt her stir as the door creaked open, but all she did was snuggle closer to his chest. He smiled and looked at her lovingly before setting her on the couch and walking to the bathroom.

* * *

Ino woke to Shikamaru's big, calloused hands tapping her cheeks. She moaned and pushed him away with one hand, and cuddled the pillow on the couch with the other. She heard him chuckle softly as he lifted her up.

"Lazy." He whispered, walking her to the bathroom. She was set on the toilet, and nearly fell over as he let her go for a moment to retrieve a towel.

"Ino wake up!" he said loudly, tapping her face with his palm.

She groaned and looked at him, but didn't respond, so he picked her up and put her in the tub fully clothed.

Ino's eyes popped open as warm water flooded her body. She gasped at the sudden contact and looked up at Shikamaru who was staring at her with a blank expression. He sat down on the toilet and looked at her, reaching out to pull her hair band from her hair.

"Are you going to bathe or do I need to do it for you?" He smiled as he said the last part and Ino groaned."I've done it before and I can do it again if I need to Ino. You haven't bathed in a week and you stink."

Ino glowered up at him, then sighed as she tried to remove her clothing. Her wet clothes were plastered to her body. She growled in frustration.

"Let me help you." He said softly, and she had a feeling he meant more than just removing her wet clothes.

She nodded her head and lifted her arms slightly.

* * *

He pulled his old shirt off of her with a bit of difficulty seeing as how it clung to her body, and he almost gasped as he beheld her breasts, and the lack of bra thereof. Her breasts were so perky...he had assumed she was wearing underwear. He turned his head as she looked up at him. He looked at her shorts and briefly wondered if she was wearing any underwear...under his shorts. He felt a surge of heat in his groin but ignored it, thinking of crippled puppies instead. That was always a turn off.

He slid his thumbs under the hem of her shorts and pulled them down to affirm his suspicions. What was she thinking, not wearing any undergarments? Didn't she know she lived in a house with a man? He looked at her face and into her eyes. Her expression was blank as she stared back at him.

He took the rag and poured some of his body wash onto it, but as he rubbed the rag against her pale, soft, beautiful flesh...he looked into her eyes. And so it was to remain until the remainder of the bath, until her hair needed to be washed. He poured his plain, generic, no smell shampoo into his hands and rubbed them together, then applied it to her scalp. He rubbed gently, but firmly and whispered for her to close her eyes tightly.

She complied, relaxing under his tender touch.

* * *

Ino moaned as he massaged her scalp, her mind drifting off into oblivion. She thought herself as a strange creature. Who just let their friend see them naked? What kind of girl was she, a girl who went on seduction missions? A girl who made her best friend bathe her because she was too weak to do it herself? She swallowed the lump in her throat, but couldn't stop her chest from jerking up and down. She felt his hands stop caressing her hair and her frown deepened, until she felt his moist lips against her own. A sob wrenched itself from her throat, but she was not sad.

Shikamaru jerked away at the sound of her sob, and he immediately felt disgusting and low. He pulled his wet, soapy hands away from her hair and stood.

"I'm sorry." He suddenly said, backing away from her. "That was wrong of me,"

She opened her eyes and watched as he backed out of the room. Then she sunk down in the bath tub and cried, shutting her eyes tightly so she wouldn't get soap in them.

* * *

Shikamaru wiped his head with his shaking hands. He looked at his wrinkled,pruned, wet fingers and frowned. Why did he kiss her? That was completely messed up. She was raped, she had a miscarriage, and he had to go and kiss her. Like she didn't have enough problems right now.

What would she do? Would she leave him now? Would she go back home to her dad? Would she hate him forever now? Would she think he was a disgusting pig?

He rubbed his face and ground his teeth in frustration. He leaned back with his eyes closed and balled his hands into fists. He didn't hear the bathroom door creak open, or her soft footsteps as she carefully padded over to where he sat on the couch.

She stopped in front of his legs and crouched, holding her towel together with one hand, and the other reaching out to cup his cheek, and then she surprised him kissing his lips softly.

"I love you." she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely audible..

* * *

so..what do you think huh?


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